


The Cross Dressing Plan

by Tangledfire



Series: A Series of Terrible Plans [1]
Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Angst, Crossdressing, F/M, Female Assassins, Funny, M/M, Romance, Secret Plans, Shenanigans, The OC relationships are small, Yaoi, friends to lovers in a way, hidden identity, mix ups, there is some violence but not too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-05
Updated: 2016-03-20
Packaged: 2018-01-18 05:51:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 33,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1417576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tangledfire/pseuds/Tangledfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Poor Leonardo da Vinci, his life was peaceful and calm until two assassins show up and turn everything upside down. Now he has to deal with their odd personalities, habits, not to mention their obsession with trying to get him and Ezio Auditore together. Which would not be that honorable, if he was not forced to cross dress! EzioxLeo.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is Tangledfire, and yes i am once again attempting to enter the world of fanfiction writing! Currently I am obsessed with Assassin's Creed, particularly Ezio and Leonardo. this fanfiction is actually a bit of a co op between Ivy and myself. (but I all the actual writing she just reads it then gives it a stamp of approval!) This is the first fanfic in a series that I am starting. Each story will be based in a different Assassin's Creed game and will incorporate my OTP from each game! So I hope you will enjoy!
> 
> I will update weekly, every Friday, unless I am gone, in which case I will inform you all.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Assassin's Creed, I do however own Lovino and Rosetta the OCs.

It was sunny, and bright, there were but a few scattered clouds drifting through the sky. But they day still held a hint of winter due to the cold breeze and the lack of leaves on the trees. Most of Venice's residents were using the warm weather to their advantage, scurrying to and fro shopping, fishing, or just socializing in the cities many market places.

However, there was one resident who was not taking advantage of the oddly spring-like weather. No instead he was shut up in his workshop busy painting away, completely unaware of the world outside. In fact Leonardo da Vinci was so unaware of the outside world that he almost did not hear the knock at his door. Fortunately, the knock came just as he was taking a pause in painting to admire the work he had done so far. At the sound of three sharp knocks the artist, turned to the door, wondering who it could be. Setting his brushes and palate on top of one of the tables already over flowing with objects, he rushed across the wood floor toward the entrance of his workshop.

Rapidly attempting to fix his cloths and hair, encase it was a wealthy costumer, he opened the door.

Instead of a wealthy costumer, he found two women dressed in familiar white robes. One was very short; her robes consisted of many layers of orange purple and white layers, two short swords were strapped to her waist. Her hood was pulled so low over her face that only her full smirking lips could be seen.  The other was slightly taller; her robes seemed less layered and consisted of different shades of green mixed with the clean white rather than a sword she had many pouches strapped around her waist.

"Ah, ciao?" he greeted them with a nervous smile.

"Ciao," the taller of the two greeted kindly. While the other shoved past Leonardo and into his work shop.

"My, you are messy,"

Turing to glare at her, he put his hands on his hips. "Excuse me?"

From behind him the other girl sighed, "I am sorry, my friend does not have the best manners,"

"I can see that," he turned back to the more polite girl who was still standing in the door way. "Who are you?"

"Ah, well, I'm Rosetta Verde and-" the rude girl interrupted Rosetta as she picked up one of the many papers on the floor and looked at it. "And, I am Lovino Incendio,"

"That is a boy’s name," Leonardo stated, confused.

"I know!" Lovino growled, "Anyways, Rosetta and I require a place to stay while we are here, seeing as Antonio says he has no room at the thieves guild, he suggested we try you, sense apparently you are friends with us assassins." She put the paper in her hands down on the table.

"We can pay for lodging, or we could help clean," said Rosetta from behind him.

"And by the looks of it you could really use help with the whole cleaning thing," Lovino snickered.

"Well," The artist shook his blond head. "Seeing as you have nowhere else to stay, I cannot just turn you away, how long will you be staying?"

"Until our work here is done," Lovino had moved and was not taking in the painting that Leonardo had been working on before the two had interrupted him. "This is quite good." She pointed at it.

From behind him Rosetta finally entered the work shop, pulling her white hood off of her head as she did so. Her brunette hair fell in waves down her back from where it had been trapped by the hood. Smiling she turned her blue eyes, that had earlier been concealed by her hood, to Leonardo's own. "Thank you so much for this,"

"It is no problem." He smiled back. After all Leonardo enjoyed being kind to others, and as assassins they were friends of Ezio, and Ezio's friends where his friends.

Rosetta joined her smaller friend in admiring the artist’s masterpiece; while she ran her eyes over the painting she reached up and yanked down Lovino's hood as she gave a squeak of surprise.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

Rosetta laughed. "It's rude to wear a hood indoors,"

"But now he knows what I look like," she glared at Leonardo, and ran a hand through her messy dirty blond hair. "I was trying to keep up a facade of mystery,"

Her friend just raised a skeptical eye brow while smirking.

"If it makes you feel better," Leonardo spoke up. "I am still feeling rather mystified,"

With a sideways smirk, Lovino turned her dark eyes to him. He watched sparks of mischief flash through the blue gray depths. "Good, let's keep it that way,"


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised here is the new chapter! In this one we learn a bit more about Lovino and Rosetta! Yay!
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

For the next week, Leonardo hardly noticed the addition of the assassins to his home, aside from the way things seemed to be cleaning themselves over night, and the pile of folded blankets and cloths in the far corner.

When he arose in the morning the assassins where gone, and sometimes before he fell asleep he would hear them enter his work shop, whispering quietly in the dark.

  
It was a relief to him not to have to actually deal with the assassins, especially Lovino. But at the same time he was endlessly curious about what the two woman where up to. Where they out there killing... like Ezio? Where did they come from? What are they doing in this city? There were so many questions, and there was no one to answer them.

 

A week or so after the two assassins had appeared at his door, the blond genius sat at one of the, now cleared, work tables, pondering over designs for the flying machine. He tapped the parchment with a quill, mumbling to himself. He just could not figure out how to keep it in the air for an extend amount of time. He ran a hand through his hair, and sighed.

Without any warning the silence of his workshop was interrupted by the front door slamming open.

“Lonardo!” Came Rosetta's voice from the bright doorway.

At the shrill tone the artist leaped to his feet knocking over the bench he had been sitting on, it landed with a loud clatter upon the wood floor. Paying the poor bench no mind, he rushed to the door. The sight that greeted him was not what he expected.

Rosetta’s arms wrapped around Lovino's limp body, both of them where covered in blood and he could see a large hole in Lovino's robes that reviled an ugly gash on her left side, blood was oozing out of it and on to the ground.

Not hesitating he took Lovino from Rosetta. The small assassin groaned painfully at the movement.

“Stop the bleeding,” Rosetta ordered, as she shoved past him and rushed over to her bag that sat on top of the folded blankets.

Leonardo moved the wounded girl on to one of the work tables, where he swept off the papers with one hand and then laid her down on the hard wood.

She groaned again, mumbled words spilling out of her mouth.

“What?” the blond leaned in close to her mouth “What was that?” he felt her exhale against his cheek then

“He's.......... better... without me......”

As Rosetta came back she pushed Leonardo's head away from her. “Move back.” She quickly got to work, stopping the bleeding, while pulling out various bottles of herbs.

“What was she talking about?” Leonardo asked as Rosetta moved both hands back to the cloth she had against Lovino's side, putting pressure on the wound.

“What did she say?” Asked Rosetta, her eyes never leaving Lovino.

“Something about him being better off without her...”

Rosetta shook her head. “She's just mumbling nonsense. Can you take those bottles, put them in a dish and then add a small amount of boiled water?”  


The blond nodded and quickly did as he was asked, bringing a small bowl with the herbs floating in the hot water and setting it next to Rosetta, who seemed to have stopped the bleeding, and cleared the dried blood. She took the herbs out of the water and mashed them in her hand until they turned into a pasty substance. When they where the right consistency she spread it in and around the gash, causing Lovino to let out another pained groan.

Rosetta mumbled as she pulled out a needle and thread. “Oh, be quiet. You have had much worse,”

“She has?”

Rosetta did not answer Leonardo. Her dark brows furrowed she began to stitch the wound up, with each pull of the needle Lovino let out another moan. Her eyes fluttered open.

“Could… you be gentler?”

Sticking the needle in again the brunette replied, “No, this is what you deserve for being stupid,”

“I wasn't being stupid,” she groaned as she shifted on the hard wood. “Those guards had it coming to them,”

“For what? Doing their jobs?” Rosetta tied off the thread and then cut it with the hidden blade attached to her arm.

“No for taunting me...” Lovino glared her blue gray eyes at the ceiling.

Shaking her head Rosetta stepped back, rolling her eyes. “You had better thank Leonardo; he let you bleed all over his work shop.

Turning her head to the man Lovino smiled and held out her hand to him which he stepped forward and took. “Thank you, Leonardo, you are quite kind for letting me bleed all over you things.” She gave a weak smile.

Rosetta gave an exasperated sigh. “So, you are nice to him?”

“What?” the injured assassin grinned at her friend. “I like Leo, he's so adorable!”  
Said artist felt his face go red.

Rosetta face palmed and shook her head. “Eight-teen years I have known you and yet I still don't understand you...”

Smiling Lovino released Leonardo's hand. “If you do not mind I am very tired and I would love to take a nap,”

“Yes, yes,” said Rosetta, “you need to recover your strength,”

“You can rest in my bed up stairs, it is probably more comfortable then the floor down here,” Leonardo headed toward the stairs, before Lovino could protest, “I'll go get it ready,”

Lovino frowned at where he had disappeared. “But I do not want to steal his bed.”

“Just accept it,” Rosetta moved to pick up Lovino and carry her up the stairs.

 

Leonardo sat on a stool placed next to his own bed, which at the moment was occupied by a sleeping assassin.

Lovino lay on her uninjured side facing away from the artist, the blankets moving up and down with her slow breaths. Her usual cloths had been replaced by one of Leonardo's shirts. She was so small that she wore it like a dress.

As Leonardo watched her, it came across him how tiny the young girl was, not just in height, she was more than a head shorter than him, her head only reaching a few centimeters bellow his shoulder, but also in build. Her hands and wrists where small and delicate, they looked like the hands of a noble woman. Her small body and delicate features seemed to contradict her dominating personality. If she where to awake at that moment he would expect her to have a soft voice, filled with all the manners of a woman belonging the upper class. Of course he knew the opposite was true, if the sleeping girl where to awaken she would be commanding and loud, such a paradoxical character.

He was distracted from his meandering thoughts when the door to his room was opened. He turned his head up to see Rosetta standing in the door, now dressed in a night gown.

“You should get some sleep,” she whispered as she approached him.

He smiled lightly. “I am fine. I think it would be good to have someone here if she wakes up in pain,”

Rosetta glanced at Lovino's sleeping figure. “I'm sure she would be fine without one of us watching her every move,”

“Oh, yes, I am aware she would be totally fine without someone watching over her,” He took his red hat, that he still wore, having not changed out of the cloths he had been wearing during the day, and started fiddling with it. “But I have done this many times for my friend Ezio, when he is injured; I cannot, in good conscience leave an injured friend alone in my home,”

Rosetta nodded in understanding, and then moved to sit next to him on the floor. “Tomorrow I will have to go back out. There is still information we need for our mission, I will be leaving her here with you,”

Leonardo smiled. “Tomorrow will be very interesting then.”

“She will probably just order you around and then complain.” Rosetta smiled back.

They both turned as Lovino made a noise in her sleep, and shifted before laying still.

After a moment Leonardo turned back to Rosetta. “I was wondering, how is it that you know how to heal?”

“Oh?” Rosetta smiled. “My father is a gardener, so he told me all about what herbs do what, and whenever anyone in the village became ill or had an injury they would come to him, and when I started training to become an assassin I decided it would be very useful to know how to treat wounds, considering being an assassin is a bit of a dangerous hobby,” She chuckled softly. “So I asked my father to teach me everything he knew, and when he ran out of things to teach me I asked the doctors that came to town. Most of them would not teach me anything, because I am a woman, and others confessed after much pestering that many of the things they prescribe do not actually work.”

“Really?” Leonardo's eyes glowed with interest. “That is quite amazing, though I always suspected that leaches are a cure that does not work.”

Rosetta laughed again. “They are actually useful for if the victim is poisoned but for anything else they are just useless.”

Leonardo nodded.

For a while they sat in silence before another question popped into the genius's mind. “What about Lovino's Parents? And your mother what do they do?”

“Ah,” Rosetta scratched her head. “Well my mother is a cook; she works for Lovino's father, he is a business man, made himself very rich. He runs mines all over the place that he uses to sell metals and jewels. Her mother on the other hand is quite sickly. She says in bed most of the time, which is why Lovino is an only child.” Rosetta smiled fondly. “She is a very kind, sweet woman, and she is actually good friends with my mother, which is how Lovino and I are such good friends. What about you?”

“Well...” He sighed. “I'm the illegitimate son of my father,”

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Rosetta looked at the floor, embarrassed for asking.

“No no, it is quite alright, my family is quite fond of me,” The artist smiled.

The brunette turned her head back up to look at Leonardo. “Oh?”

He nodded. “Yes they had me grow up with the family. I was given an education and when I showed an interest in art they let me become the apprentice of a famous painter in Firenze,” The artist looked down at her. “You look tired, why don't you go back to sleep?”

Rosetta nodded and stood up. “Good night Leo,”

“Good night,” he smiled.

She smiled back and then without a sound, left the room.


	3. chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo i just realized that it takes FOREVER for Ezio to actually come into he story. This is going to be a long fic. But rest assured, dear readers, he enters in the next chapter! but it will still take a while to get to the actual cross dressing.

The next day Leonardo awoke with his head laying on the bed and a hand running through his hair. Blearily he blinks his eyes, and made a noise of content. The hand in his hair felt really nice, though his back hurt from falling asleep in such an odd position.

“So you are finally awake,” Came a voice from above him.

He bolted up right. That was not the voice he was expecting. Though he did not want to admit who's voice he had been hoping to hear.

“Oh uh...” He felt his cheeks going red. “Good morning Lovino,”

She grinned at him. “Morning. Your hair is really soft,”

“Oh.....” the artist was sure he looked like a tomato.

“That was a complement,”

“T-thank you,” God he was so embarrassed.

Lovino giggled happily. “Anyways, signor Lonardo, I am hungry and seeing as I cannot get up, you should bring me food,”

“Yes of course,” The artist jumped up and rushed out of the room to search for food. Upon arriving in his small kitchen he grabbed two apples off the large stack sitting on the small wooden table in the middle of the room, and quickly went back to his bedroom.

He handed one of the apples to Lovino, who happy took a large bite of the red fruit.

“Is there any reason why there is a surplus of apples in the kitchen?” Leonardo took a bite of his own apple.

“Oh, that is because Rosetta loves them, your kitchen had no food in it, so we stalked up,” She took another bite of apple, then sighed. “A whole day of sitting around in bed,” She slumped down on the pillows.

“Perhaps there is something you can do that does not require much movement,” The blond suggested.

Lovino gave him a despairing look. “Such as?”

“Well,” Leonardo scratched his beard thinking. “You could read,” He looked back at Lovino. “Or not...”

“I have an idea,” She smiled. “Go down stairs and bring me my torn uniform from yesterday, and bring me my bag, it should be sitting on the blankets down stairs,”

The artist nodded and went to fetch the things she asked for, while still eating his apple. When he had grabbed the bag from the work room, and the white uniform from where it hung drying, out of the kitchen window, he returned to Lovino and handed her the objects.

“Grazie,” as Leonardo moved to sit back on his stool, while Lovino pulled out a spool of white thread and some needles.

“You know how to sew?”

Lovino took a length of thread and then cut it with her teeth. “Yes, it is one of the few lady like things my mother was able to teach me,” Closing one eye she threaded the needle. “Don't you have other things to do then watch me all day?”

“Oh,” Leonardo smiled. “Yes, of course. If you need anything, just shout,” He stood and walked out of the room.

When he had passed through the door and far enough away not to hear Lovino mumbled, “Shout more like scream...”

Only three days later Lovino was out of bed and walking around.

“Lovino please go back to bed!” Leonardo was following the stubborn assassin around the kitchen as she limped, trying to find a pot to boil water in.

“No, it is boring in there and I want tea,” She slowly leaned over and opened a low cupboard, causing the large shirt she was wearing to rise up. Thankfully she was wearing an odd pair of very short pants, but it was still far too inappropriate for the poor man. Even if he was not attracted to women. The artist turned around a hand over his eyes. “Could you at least put on more appropriate attire?”

“Well, if you would provide me with something else to wear other than a huge shirt, yes,” She stood back up with a groan, pot in hand.

“Just wear your uniform,” He removed his hands from his face and glanced back at the young woman.

She made a face. “It is so hard to put on! And very recognizable, you want one of your costumers to come in and see the woman that half of Venice is looking for standing in your work room?”

“I would rather they see that then a girl with hardly any cloths on!” Leonardo huffed.

Lovino filed the pot with water from a bucket. “Oh, I think that would be rather helpful to you. I am sure you are aware of the rumors,” She grinned, then moved to place the pot on the fire in the hearth.

Leonardo sputtered. “I- what? Rumors? What...”

Moving to lean on the table, Lovino giggled. “And you know what? I think I am starting to believe those rumors,” She grinned at him. “You want me to change cloths, go buy me something. My money is in my bag,”

“Fine,” Confused and angry he left the room.

Around an hour later Leonardo returned. Steeping into his workshop he found Lovino downstairs sitting on the wood floor, admiring the flying machine that sat in the corner.

“Can this actually fly?”

Leonardo joined her. “In theory, I have not found someone crazy enough to test it,”

“Oh,” She turned towards him, and then grinned. “You have freckles.”

He blinked. “So do you... Here is your dress,” He held it out to her, “And the rest of your money,” He pulled out the small bag of coins and handed it to her as well.

“Grazie, now... Uh, could you carry me up stairs? I came down here and found that I could not go back up,” she smiled sheepishly.

With a sigh, he crouched and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up bridle style. “You are very light,”

“I am very short!” She glared as he made his way across the room and up the stairs.

He laughed. “I noticed.”

She just made a disgruntled noise.

 Leaving her to change cloths, the young artist went downstairs. Just as he sat down on one of the work benches a knock came at the door. Sighing, he moved to open it.

“Ciao, I am here about a painting my wife commissioned,”

“Ah yes please come in, it is cold out,” Just a costumer.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It accrued to my today that I could easily give my chapters cool names, but sadly I am lazy and do not feel like going back to change them all. Anyways hope you all enjoy the new chapter!

__

It was another oddly spring like day, and Leonardo was being dragged around the city by an over energized, short, assassin, in the lovely orange dress he had grudgingly picked out for her not more than a day and a half ago.

“Oh, it is so good to be outside again!” He glanced at Lovino as she walked next to him, her right hand clutched around his left arm.

“You have been inside for only four days,”

She grinned at the people walking past them. “And that is way too long; I almost forgot what sun light looked like!”

With a small smile Leonardo shook his head. “I am sure you did.”

“Anyways, we need what again?” She changed the subject as some market stands that sat next to one of the many water channels came in to view.

“I need some paint, and Rosetta left this note with a list of food and herbs she wants us to get, also I need food, because all you two eat are apples and meat,”

She looked up bemused. “What is wrong with that?”

“Well I have gotten tired of apples and I do not eat meat,” He explained.

“Oh..... Wait! What?” She let go of his arm and forcibly turned him so they faced each other. “You don't eat meat?”

“No,” The young artist did not understand what Lovino found so odd about his eating habits.

She raised an eyebrow at him. “How are you not dead?” Without waiting for his answer she turned back towards the market and walked off into the stands, careful that no one accidentally bumped her side.

With a sigh the artist hurried after her. This girl...

As Leonardo walked through the stands he spotted Lovino talking to a man selling flowers, approaching he picked up on their conversation.

“Oh, I never really get flowers,” Lovino was shaking her head.

The young man, running the stand, smiled. “A woman as beautiful as you deserves beautiful flowers,”

She blushed brightly. “I-I, uh,”

“Here,” Smiling the man, took a white lily and held it out to Lovino, who, with a nervous hand, took it from him.

“Grazie,” She gave him a small smile, her cheeks still red.

The flower man smiled flirtatiously. “Any time,”

Silently chucking at Lovino, the tall artist walked up next to her. “Look at that, you are not a total annoyance to everyone you meet,”

Turning with a glare she snapped back. “Be quiet!”

The young man with the flowers laughed. “I think she is quite lovely.”

Her eyes wide, she blushed again. “Goodbye,” She turned her head and smiled shakily at the man, before walking away, followed by Leonardo.

“See you, again?” The flower man called after her.

She smiled and without glancing back replied. “Maybe…”

When the rather odd pair of friends had moved farther away from the stand Leonardo finally let out a laugh. “You are so awkward!”

“Quiet,” She hissed at him, but the effect was ruined by her smiling happily at the lily in her hand. “Though he was sweet,”

Still chucking he changed the subject. “Come on we need to purchase things,”

She sighed. “Alright. You look for your paint and food, and I will get Rosetta's herbs,”

With a nod the artist moved off to find what he needed while the incognito assassin walked in the opposite direction.

Sadly, Leonardo was unable to locate the paint he was looking for, but was very successful in procuring food that met his standards. Satisfied, he went off to find his young companion. Eventually he found her sitting on a stone bench outside the market. Her back was resting against the building behind her, the dark eyes that always showed so much emotion were closed, and the lily now rested in her hair.

Leonardo smiled. He would have loved to paint her. The colour of the flower was so close to her pale skin, and was offset by her bright dress and dirty-blond hair, which seemed to glow copper in the sun. In that moment Leonardo was happy to be an artist, able to understand the beauty in such an everyday sight.

Seaming to sense his approach Lovino opened her stormy eyes and turned her head, smiling at him. “Finished?”

He nodded.

“Bene,” She slowly stood up, a hand on her side. “Shall we head back then?” She asked, while adjusting the belt with pouches that she wore around her waist. He assumed that was where she kept the herbs she had acquired for Rosetta.

“Sì,”

He put his arm out for her, she took it, and they began to head back to his workshop through the crowded streets.

When they were about half way back, in a deserted street, Lovino stopped.

Worried about her injury Leonardo stopped next to her, ready to fuss over her wound. “Are you well?”

“Yes, yes,” she replied quietly, “It is just... I swear I saw something on the roof...?”

“The roof?” Leonardo turned his eyes up to the roof. “I see-” But his words where cut off as something, or rather someone landed with a somersault right in front of him. With a yelp he jumped back.

Next to him Lovino threw her hands in the air and shouted. “Hallelujah! It's raining men,” followed by “Ow! Reminder, do not throw hands in the air,”

Blinking, astounded Leonardo recognized the man who was now standing up with his back to them. “E-Ezio?!”

At the sound of his name the assassin turned. Seeing his friend a smile graced his lips. “Leonardo!” With a step he wrapped his arms around his stunned friend.

Still confused Leonardo returned his embrace.

Moving back but keeping his hands on the blonds shoulders Ezio looked is friend over. “How are you?”

“I am fine... but what on earth where you doing? Where you trying to kill yourself?!” the artist looked exasperated. “You nearly made me faint!”

The assassin laughed. “Do not worry yourself. I do that all the time!”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better,” the two men smiled at each other.

“Uhem...” they both turned at the sound next to them, Ezio's arms falling from Leonardo’s slightly higher shoulders.

“Leonardo,” Ezio grinned at Lovino, who was looking at the two, an unreadable look on her face. “You have neglected to introduce this lovely young lady,”

“Oh, yes!” The artist could not believe how rude he had been, Ezio's unexpected appearance had driven everything except the younger man from his mind. “This is Lovino Incendio,”

With a smile Ezio took one of her small hands, leaned over and kissed it. “It is lovely to meet you.... Lovino... That is a boy’s name,”

With a glare she snatched her hand back. “I am well aware of that fact, and actually Ezio Auditore, we have met before,”

“Surely I would remember a lady as beautiful as you,” He smiled.

With a glance at Leonardo she replied. “Stop flirting with me. But yes we have met. It was about five or six years ago, when I was twelve. I came with my father on his business trip. He met with your father and the two of them foolishly thought that their young children would get along. Just after being introduced to me, you called me a boy and I punched you in the face,” She grinned.

“That was you!” Ezio let out a laugh.

She shook her head. “And I would punch you again if I was not injured at the moment.”

With a worried look Leonardo interrupted. “Please, no violence,”

“How would a young girl, such as you, become injured,” The cocky assassin smirked.

“I am an assassin,” She smirked back, then pointed at the poster that happened to be on the wall, a few feet from where they were. “That's a poster for me! Apparently I have been quite the nascence to the guards of the city,”

“Oh,” The brunet turned to look at the poster, “I thought those might be for me, but with a very inaccurate description of what I looked like. Good to know they do not actually think I am a short blonde,” Turning back to Leonardo and Lovino, made Ezio an oh sound and pulled out a rolled up paper from one of the small bags on his belt and handed it to Leonardo.

“You found another one,” The artist’s eyes lit up at seeing the paper. “How exciting,”

“I was coming to give it to you,” Ezio explained.

“Grazie!” Leonardo smiled happily at Ezio with a small blush.

Noticing this Lovino smiled, as she had been watching the two a plan was bringing to form in her mind. A very brilliant plan in her opinion. She knew the rumors about Leonardo, and she knew her own ability to observe people and understand them. It would be a lie to call Lovino an idiot, though she often acted as such, but she was quite intelligent, and many times before had made plans which made the feature to pan out the way she wanted, this in turn also helped her become quite a good assassin, but this would not be part of an assassination.

With the young assassins mind occupied, the two men were content to have a conversation of their own, oblivious to the schemes the young woman next to them.

Entering the square that Leonardo’s workshop was located, the trio was surprised to see Rosetta leaning against the outside of the brick workshop.

She smiled as they approved and shifted so she was standing rather than resting against the wall.

“Ciao,” She greeted them with a smile. “I see you have picked up a friend.”

“Yes, this is Ezio Auditore, an assassin like you,” Leonardo introduced the assassins. “This is Rosetta Verde,”

As he had done with Lovino, Ezio took Rosetta's hand and kissed it, making the girl blush. “It is a pleasure to meet you, bella donna,”

“Well,” Lovino moved past them and into the doorway of the workshop. “I am going to sit down. Leonardo, would you please open the door?”

“Yes, of course,” Moving away from Ezio and Rosetta he pulled out a key and unlocked the heavy oak door, allowing the exhausted Lovino to rush inside and plop herself down on one of the work benches.

Wanting to make sure she was alright the others followed her inside.

“Are you alright, perhaps that was too much for you,” Rosetta quickly walked to her friend and started checking her over.

“I am fine...” The shorter girl sighed, “Just very tired,”

“Alright, but you tell me if anything is wrong,”

Lovino rolled her eyes as she was fussed over. “Yes, mother,”

Rosetta glared at her. “If you were not already hurt...”

Sensing that the two woman where about to start a brawl, injured or not, Ezio decided to distract them. “Ladies, stop your teasing,” He smiled flirtatiously at Rosetta. “I would like to hear about what you two are doing in Venezia,”

“Oh,” The brunette girl moved away from the scowling Lovino, and closer to Ezio. “Well we are here on a reconnaissance, mission, we are supposed to see what the Templars are up to and what the assassins are doing to stop them. It is not all that interesting really.”

“It is very interesting to me,” Ezio took a stray piece of her long brown hair and tucked it behind her ear.

Observing this action Lovino turned her eyes to the blonde artist next to her, not so surprised to see him looking very upset before he turned away from the couple in front of him and bruised himself with cleaning the up the brushes and paint on the worktable.

“In fact it is so interesting that I think you should tell me everything,” Ezio smiled at the blushing assassin. “But perhaps it is just that I love the sound of your voice.”

“Oh,” Rosetta blinked slowly, trying to stop blushing. “T-thank you.”

“Get a room you two!” Lovino shouted, in hopes of making the sickeningly sweet words stop, both for her benefit and for the upset man next to her.

“LOVINO!” Rosetta turned to her smirking friend, her face like a tomato. She shook her head. “I am sorry Ezio, Lovino is not very polite,”

The man laughed. “I know,” He then sighed. “Sadly, I need to go; there is much I need to do.” He walked over to Leonardo and placed a hand on his shoulder, making the bearded blonde turn around. “I will be back later for that codex page,”

“Of course!” The artist smiled and then hugged Ezio. “Please be safe.”

He returned the embrace. “Aren’t I always?”

Leonardo let out a chuckle.

Letting go of his friend Ezio turned back to Rosetta and Lovino. “It was lovely to meet both of you,” he turned his eyes to Rosetta. “And I hope to see you again soon.”

“Yes, I hope so too,” Replied Rosetta. Followed by a “Bye bye!” From Lovino.

In a whirl of white robes he was gone.


	5. chapter 5

After Ezio had left the building, Lovino decided it was time to confront Leonardo. “So,” She turned to him. “How long have you had a thing for Ezio?”

“W-what?” The blonde turned to her, baffled and blushing. “I don't... I do not have a thing for him! What a preposterous thing to say!”

Lovino snickered. “Oh, yeah, you like him,” She grinned. “You cannot trick me,”

From where she stood, frozen, Rosetta spoke up. “Wait... Leonardo you like men?”

At this the poor artists face became impossibly redder. “No, I mean yes, I mean...” He groaned.

“Do not worry,” Lovino smiled kindly. “We will not judge you, well Rosetta might, she is highly religious, but I on the other hand think the church is a load of bull shit. And any ways I have spent many years training Rosetta on what not to believe.”

“That does not make me feel better,” He put his hands over his eyes and sighed.

“In fact I have an idea.... a brilliant idea!” The short girl pointed at Rosetta, who was still glaring at her for calling the church bull shit. “But before I tell you, Leo, I need to run it by dear Rosetta. Stop glaring, saying the church is a lie is not going to get me to hell, sense I am already going for murder.”

Rosetta shook her head. “I will let it drop, for now,”

“Now,” Lovino said while standing slowly, using the table behind the workbench for support. “Come with me Rosetta so I can explain everything to you,” She began to walk to the stairs, before stopping. “Actually, Leonardo, could you go up stairs.”

Still blushing he nodded. “Alright, but I want to know what you are planning as soon as possible.”

“Of course,” she smiled innocently.

With that, the highly embarrassed artist moved up stairs.

It took Lovino and Rosetta exactly half an hour to discuss whatever plan Lovino was concocting in her head. During which Leonardo decided to clean up his room, but every once in a while he could hear giggling or a loud word from down below, and worried about what exactly he was getting into.

When the assassins had discussed everything that needed discussing they called Leonardo back down. When he was once again in their presence, Lovino indicated that he should sit on the bench across from Rosetta and herself, both women wore matching serious faces.

“What is all this about?” He asked, setting himself on the bench and adjusting his red hat.

“We have found a way to make Ezio fall in love with you,” Lovino started.

“But,” Rosetta continued. “It will be quite complicated.”

Lovino smiled. “Basically we are going to need to disguise you as a girl,.

Leonardo took a moment to take in what had just left the assassins mouth before saying. “What?”

“We,” Lovino indicated Rosetta and herself with one pale hand. “Are going to make you,” She pointed at him. “In to a girl,” She made an outline of a girl’s body with both hands.

“I heard you the first time,” He said unimpressed, “and the answer is no.”

“AWWWWWW!” Lovino cried. “Why?”

Rosetta shook her head. “I told you he would say no,”

The shorter of the two turned to her friend. “But it is such a brilliant plan!”

“I agree,” the brunette nodded.

“I do not think simply dressing me up as a woman is such a wonderful idea.”

“Wait,” Lovino turned back to him and put up her hand up, palm facing him. “Hear me out, it would go like this. Here in Venezia there is the festival of Carnival, yes? Everyone wears costumes. So we dress you up as a girl for the whole thing, and then, somehow lure Ezio to where you are, probably using Antonio's help, and then set up a damsel in distress situation that Ezio will be unable to resist! After that you just use your charm to get him to fall in love with you,” She smiled widely when she was done.

“And what do we do after carnival? When I have to go back to being a man?” He raised an eye brow.

Lovino shrugged. “We will figure that out later, but it is better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all. And this way at least you get a chance with him,”

“And charm? I have no charm,”

“Of course you do!” Rosetta encouraged Leonardo, considering she actually really wanted him to go a long with the plan, as farfetched as it sounded. “You are all innocent, sweet and extremely easy to like. I am sure if u had been born a girl Ezio would have married you in a heartbeat. He already likes you so much.”

He frowned. “He hated me when we first met,”

“Probably because he did not want to admit to himself that he liked you, so he lashed out, and then eventually decided that his feelings where those of friendship and not attraction, and keeps denying those feelings for what they really are, so they are all bottled up inside him and might burst at any time,” Lovino took in a long breath after talking so quickly. “Sorry.... that got a bit out of hand. I went a little over board in analyzing Ezio,” She chuckled as both Leonardo and Rosetta gave her half confused half exasperated looks. “So, Leonardo, will you go along with our plan?”

Rosetta turned to him. “It would be best if you said yes.”

With a long sigh Leonardo turned his eyes away from the women. “Fine, I will go along with it, but I do not expect it to work.”

Lovino Grinned, “Perfetto!”

“Bene,” Rosetta smiled and reached across the table to pat Leonardo’s arm. “Lovino's plans usually work, you will see.”


	6. Chapter 6

When the sun rose, so did Venice's resident artist along with one of his guests. As Leonardo came down from his bedroom he was surprised to see Rosetta sitting at one of the work tables, apple in one hand and with the other she furiously sketched away at a piece of paper.

“Good morning,” He greeted her.

She looked up and smiled. “Good morning, Leonardo. Lovino is still sleeping,” She pointed behind her, to the lump of blankets on the floor that moved steadily with the other assassins breathing. The top of her dirty blond head could be seen poking out from between two blankets.

“Ah,” Leonardo whispered and moved to sit across from Rosetta. Curiously he attempted to see what she was drawing.

Noticing him, she spun the paper around showing Leonardo a drawing of the back of someone dressed in assassin robes standing on top of a tower with the sun setting behind a forest. He smiled. “This is very good,” He handed it back.

“Thanks,” The assassin blushed, looking at the table.

“You know there is something I have been wondering about,” She looked up. “I must confess it kept me up last night. I was wondering,” The artist nervously began fiddling with a paint brush. “Ah, but, why are you helping me? Why are you taking part in this ridiculous plan?”

Rosetta grinned. “Because it is what Lovino wants. Not to mention it will be fun.”

“And why does she wish to participate in this plan?” He looked up at the brunettes face.

Rosetta's smile dropped. “Because she lost the person she loved. She does not want that to happen to anyone else... She will do anything to keep others from feeling the pain she feels. She does not care what gender, or religion or,” She smiled. “Creeds people have, she just wants them to love and be loved, despite never being loved in return.”

Leonardo's eyes widened. Lovino in love? It seemed like an impossible idea. The artist could not imagine the loud assassin pining after someone. “What happened to him?”

Rosetta shook her head. “It is not my right to tell you. If she trusts you she will tell you the story.”

Nodding the artist went back to messing with the paint brush in his hands. “So, what about you?”

“What about me?” Rosetta pretended not to hear what Leonardo had asked, preferring instead to go back to sketching.

Leonardo ran the soft bristles of the brush over his fingertips. “Are you in love?”

“Oh,” With a sigh Rosetta put down the charcoal she had been using to sketch with and looked up. “To be honest yes, in fact I am engaged,”

“Really?” The blond smiled. “Congratulations!”

She smiled back. “There is only one problem; I have yet to tell Lovino.”

The artist gave her a puzzled look. “Why?”

“Odd things tick her off,” She sighed. “I do not want her to get angry with me.”

“Oh, I would think she would be happy for you,” He disagreed.

She just shook her head.

The two sat in a pregnant silence for a moment.

Studying Rosetta's drawing from across the table, while still running the brush over his fingertips, Leonardo spoke up, hoping to break the tension. “I could teach you.”

Rosetta looked up at him with wide eyes. “Huh?”

“To draw, and paint,” He smiled encouragingly at her, so she knew he was not joking. “You are already quite skilled, but there are some tricks I could teach you.”

“Really?” She grinned. “Oh, it would be such an honor!”

Behind her Lovino groaned. “Foooooodd!”

At the unexpected demand Leonardo and Rosetta both laughed.

“One moment,” Rosetta stood up, and made her way to the kitchen. “Leonardo, would you like anything?”

“Just a piece of bread,” He answered. Smiling he turned to Lovino who was sitting up rubbing her eyes, her hair sticking up in all directions. He noticed that she had taken another one of his shirts to sleep in, it was the third time she had stolen one of his shirts.  


* * *

  
Once Lovino had eaten she and Rosetta left to go on errands, collecting supplies for “what was to come”, as Lovino had put it. For the first time in days Leonardo was alone.

Deciding to enjoy his solitude, he picked up his paint brushes, put fresh paint on to a palette, and worked on the commissions that had been neglected over the past few days.

Soon he lost himself in the motions of painting. The easel seamed to suck him in, all his problems where gone, there was nothing but him and the paint. It was paradise. A paradise that was rudely interrupted by a knock on his door, followed by the sound of the heavy door opening.

He turned, slightly annoyed, to see who had entered his workshop.

“Ciao!”

Leonardo felt his annoyance quickly slip away. He could never be mad at the handsome assassin who had just entered the workshop.

“Ezio!” He beamed. “What has brought you back so soon?”

“Can I not just visit my friend?” Ezio grinned in return. “Though actually I came to retrieve the codex page I left with you.”

The blond raised an eye brow. “Codex page? Oh!” he began frantically searching through the piled of paper on the work benches. “I am so sorry! I completely forgot! There was so much going on...” he trailed off. “Where on this good earth did I put it?”

“Non ti preoccupare,” Ezio waved a hand dismissively. “It is not urgent that I have it.”

Without ceasing his somewhat frantic search, Leonardo replied. “But I meant to have it done. I am sure you have much more important things to be seeing to and here I am holding you up.”

The assassin smirked at his friends rambling and flustered movements. “It is no trouble; I will help you look for it.”

“Grazie,” the two men looked through the papers. It seemed that lady luck was not on their side. The codex page was nowhere to be found. The two men searched high and low a  
all over the main part of the workshop for the illusive scroll.

After an hour of searching they were both empty handed.

Leonardo sat on one of the workbenches with a sigh, exasperated as to where the paper could have gone. “I am sorry Ezio...”

With a matching sigh the brunette sat next to his friend. At some point in the search he had abandoned his cape and many of his weapons. “It must be here somewhere...” he ran a tan hand through his hair, tugging out his pony tail and causing his brown hair to fall around his face. “Is there anywhere we have not checked?”

It took Leonardo a moment to realize that Ezio had spoken, he as too focused on the other mans loose hair. It looked so soft; he wanted so badly to run his hands through the dark strands. When he noticed that Ezio was staring at him waiting for a reply he quickly shook his head, and turned his face away, ting to hide the blush that spread across his cheeks. “Uh... well, there are the rooms upstairs.”

“Let us check there, perhaps you curried the codex page to your rooms without realizing it,” Ezio stood.

“Perhaps,” Leonardo stood as well, still pointedly looking away from his friend. “You should check the kitchen and I will check my bedroom,” He definitely did not want the   
assassin in his room, not that there was anything incriminating inside, but he did not trust himself with the thought of the handsome assassin so near his bed.

Ezio nodded and headed up the stairs followed closely by the blond, before they turned into separate rooms.  


* * *

  
An hour later neither of them had found the illusive page.

Leonardo stood in the kitchen next to Ezio looking around in utter confusion. “Merda!”

The assassins brown eyes widened at the curse. “Calmare, Leonardo. It is here somewhere.”

“I know...” the artist sighed and moved to lean on the counter, his back to Ezio. “I just do not understand where it went!”

“Uh, Leonar-?”

“What?” he snapped, and then jumped with a squeak, as he felt something tug at the belt around his waist. Face red he turned to glare at the brunette who stood behind him, a wide grin on his face, and a scroll in his hand.

“I found it!”

Still glaring he snatched the codex page out of his friend’s hand, and stomped out of the room and down the stairs. Ezio followed him and took a seat at the worktable where Leonardo had begun to work on the encrypted page.

“By the way that noise of surprise you made was quite adorable,” the charismatic assassin grinned.

Leonardo glanced up at him with a look that said 'You mention that again and I will rip your mouth off your damn adorable face!' well that went off track fast. He quickly focused back on the old parchment before Ezio could read his expression.

“I will have this done shortly and you can be on your way.”

Ezio made a noise of unconcern. “Take your time,” there was a silence between the two for a small length of time, only the sound of Leonardo's quill scratching broke the quiet.

“Where are Rosetta and Lovino?” Ezio asked, casually.

“I haven't the slightest idea,” the blond genius did not look up as he answered.


	7. chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize that is chapter is rather short, it has been a stressful week and next Friday I will be unable to update, so the next installment will be on Saturday and I will make it extra long to make up for being late. Also this chapter is all about Lovino and Rosetta because I want you readers to get to know them, they are actually very interesting characters and I enjoy writing about them and their friendship.
> 
> Anywho, enjoy!

"I am thinking, red, no, green, no, blue, no, red! Ohhhh I cannot decide, Rosetta what do you think?" the loud, wining voice caused everyone in the market place to stop and look in the direction it was coming from.

"Green," Rosetta replied, in a quieter tone while she ran emerald green cloth over her hands. It almost matched the shade of the dress she was wearing.

Lovino shook her head. "You only say that because it is your favorite colour."

"And if we went with your favorite colour the dress would be bright orange," the brunette rolled her eyes.

Seeming to not hear her Lovino continued. "Also he is always wearing green, the purpose is to hide his identity, not shout it out to everyone who sees him. Red, I will make it red," she nodded to herself. "It will work wonderfully with his blond hair."

"You know," Rosetta looked over her shorter friends shoulder at the different shades of red that lay before them. "He is going to be a very tall woman."

Lovino nodded again. "Yes, I am well aware. We will have to give him flat shoes, but you are also a very tall woman, and your mother even taller. And who knows perhaps Ezio has a thing for tall woman."

"I think he has a thing for women in general," the brunette joked, causing the other to let out a burst of high pitched laughter.

"So true, so true," Lovino smiled and pulled out her money from one of the bags around her waist that where now hidden under the gray cloak she had dawned due to the chilly weather. "Excuse me," she called to the tailor who was selling the fabric. "I need a piece of this fabric that is as five times as long as I am tall."

"Right away Madame!"

The tailor measured and cut the fabric, then folded the large amount of cloth and tied it with a string. Lovino handed over the large sum of money with a smile, glad that her father's business allowed for an almost unlimited amount of sums.

As the two walked back to Leonardo's workshop Lovino stopped on one of the bridges and leaned over the side of it.

Taking a moment to realize that the shorter woman was no longer by her side, Rosetta rushed back to her. "Lovino, what are you doing?"

"Watching the water."

Rosetta sighed and joined her. "I thought you were afraid of it,"

The blonde nodded. "I am."

The two stood there for a time. One looking down at the cold dark water and the other gazing at the clouds above them as they shifted becoming dark and gray. Rain was imminent.

"We should go," Rosetta looked up.

"Have you ever played pooh sticks?" asked Lovino.

"What?" her friend turned her head with a look of bewilderment.

"It is a game where you take a stick, drop it in the water and then run to the other side of the bride before you can see it again," Lovino kept her dark eyes trained on the water below.

"No," Rosetta shook her head, still confused as to what Lovino was talking about.

"Oh,"

"Come on," the taller of the two pulled on her friends arm. "I do not want to get stuck in the rain because you have gotten lost on the road of life,"

Lovino laughed, but pulled her arm away as they began walking. "Yes, sorry."


	8. chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about last week, but here is an update, and as an apology for missing last week and missing next week i am going to post another, longer chapter tomorrow night!

When Lovino and Rosetta finally returned to the workshop, they found Leonardo bent over a codex page and Ezio asleep in a chair.

“We are back!” Lovino announced upon her entrance through the door, a large bundle of red fabric held in her arms.

Ezio jerked awake and reached for the sword at his side, alarmed by the loud noise.

Rosetta followed her boisterous friend in, giving Ezio an apologetic look.

“Ah!” Leonardo looked up from the page. “You have returned.”

Lovino moved across the room and set the bundle of red fabric on one of the worktables.

Ezio turned to his friend. “All most finished with that?”

Leonardo blinked at him, then nodded. “Yes, I only have two more symbols,”

“Bene,” the assassin leaned back in his chair again and closed his eyes. “So? Lovino, why all the cloth?”

“Because I need it,” she glared at the closed eyed man.

He peeked one brown eye open at her. “What for,”

“Things,” she replied cryptically.

He resisted the urge to role his eyes instead opting to sigh and close his eye again.

“You do not need to be so rude,” Rosetta walked across the room and leaned one arm on Lovino's shoulder, as if to point out how short she is.

The blond moved out from under her friends arm and glared. “I think there is.”

The inevitable bickering that was about to begin between the two woman was cut short by Leonardo standing up straight and proudly announcing, “Finished!”

“Wonderful,” Ezio moved to stand up, and stretched his arms out; the chair was not that comfortable.

Leonardo watched the brunettes muscles shift under his shirt and then blushed looking down when Ezio turned his dark eyes upon him.  
With a thankful smile Ezio reached over and grabbed the two papers. “I had best be on my way, many people to assassinate,” he chuckled.

“You know I still do not like that you kill people,” the blonde looked at him with a forlorn face.

The young assassin shrugged slightly. “What else can I do?”

Leonardo hung his head and shook it.

With a sad smile Ezio moved and clapped his hand on the blondes shoulder. “I will be alright,” he put on a reassuring face.

“I know,” Leonardo's blue eyes where clouded with sorrow. “I worry. I do not wish to lose you to an early death, but I am aware that you must do what you do...”

Across the room Lovino leaned toward Rosetta. “When they talk it is like we do not even exist.”

They watched as Ezio pulled his friend into tight a hug.

“Alright!” Lovino stalked across the room waving her hands. “Break up the bromance! I have work to do!”

Both of the men relinquished the other and looked at her.

“What is a bromance?” Leonardo looked completely perplexed.

“I do not know! Whatever you two are doing!” she latched onto Ezio and tried, unsuccessfully, to pull him toward the door. “I have much work to do! So get out you big brute!”

Deciding to play along the younger man let her pull him to the door, grinning and waving at Leonardo as he walked. “See you later my friend!”

“Ciao, Ezio!” he called back.

At the door Lovino stopped. “Watch out it is raining outside.”

“Nothing I cannot handle,” he tucked the pages safely away and pulled his hood up. “See you later, bella donna?”

The shorter assassin glared good-naturedly. “Not if I can avoid it.”

“Why do you rebuff all of my attempts to flirt with you?”

Lovino rolled her eyes. “Because, while you are extremely handsome, you are not what I am looking for.”

“Oh,” he smirked. “And what are you looking for?”

Her blue gray eyes went a bit dreamy as she looked past him. “Tall, blond, blue eyes... pretty much the opposite of you. Well except you are tall, I will give you that,” she gave a little  
laugh. “Now seriously get out of here Leonardo and I have work to do.”

Ezio pulled open the door, but smirked at her knowingly. “Oh, yes... you have “work” to do.”

“Ew! No!” she punched him in the arm. “Not like that! Get out you pervert!”

Laughing the tall assassin lifted his hands up in surrender and stepped out of the door, which was promptly slammed shut behind him.  
  
After the Ezio’s departure Lovino got busy measuring out Leonardo, scribbling down numbers on a parchment as she rushed around him. He squirmed as she poked and prodded him.

“My, my,” she smiled as she scribbled down numbers then returned to poking at his waist. “These cloths really hide how skinny you are!”

Rosetta watched from the side, rather uninterested before she looked around the work room and noticed how horribly dirty the place was. “I will clean,” she walked to the corner  
of the room near the flying machine and began rummaging around for a broom. She could have sworn that she saw one back there.

“Gra-zie!” Leonardo said as Lovino poked his side, tickling him. “Would you stop that?” he glared down at Lovino, who smirked up.

“But your reaction is so cute!”

“I am not cute,” he crossed his arms.

She shook her head. “Do not pout.”

They were interrupted by a loud crash from across the room. The two blonds turned to see a pile of papers and canvasses where Rosetta had once been. “Dang it!” herbrown hair appeared from under one of the canvases.

Lovino and Leonardo promptly burst into laughter.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because I missed last week and because i will be missing next week i am posting today to make up for it and i will post again Wednesday night to make up for next week.
> 
> Please enjoy the super angst of this chapter!

The next morning was sunny and bright, though a bit chilly. The cold did not bother Lovino at all. She took in a long breath of air, savoring the fresh smell from the last night’s rain had left upon the earth. Turning her dark eyes down she fixed them on the figure that stood below her. “Come on up, the air is wonderful!”

“Really, Lovino?” Leonardo called back from the ground. He had been dragged from his bed by the enthusiastic assassin claiming that she was fully healed and needed to do some exercise so she was going to teach him to climb up walls. “A necessary skill for any assassin!” she had pronounced as she pulled him down stairs and out his front door. 

“I do not think this is safe...” he looked up at her with wide eyes.

“It is safe, I have only fallen like nine times!” she called back.

“Keep it down,” he hissed up at her. “It is illegal to be in the roofs, not to mention that the sun has barely risen!”

“Come up here and I will have no need to shout,” she sat down on the edge of the roof and pushed the hood of her white robes back.

With a sigh Leonardo awkwardly clambered on to the box next to the wall.

“That is it!” the young girl cheered him on, “Now grab on to that ledge with your fingers,” she nodded as he did as he was told. “Good, now put your feet against the wall for support.”

The blond shakily placed his feet against the wall, praying to whatever powers above that he did not fall to his death.

“Next grab the top of the window, one hand at a time. Perfect! Move your feet up and reach up to the next ledge with your hands. Pretty simple. Just repeat that until you get to the top.”

Grumbling under his breath he repeated her instructions, giving a very unmanly squeak when one of his feet slipped. By the time he reached the top he was panting, and his arms where shaking. The artist gladly accepted Lovino's offered hand, sighing with relief as he was pulled over the side of the building. He really needed to get more exercise.

“See,” Lovino smiled at him as she let go of his hand. “Not too bad.”

He just nodded in agreement as he tried to get his breath back, sitting on the roof away from the edge.

Breathing slowly he turned his eyes to Lovino and watcher her, as she stared out across the roofs of Venice, towards the slowly rising sun.

It accrued to him as he watched her that most people when gazing off into the distance appear to be looking into the past or sometimes the future, but Lovino's look was different. She was not gazing at some far off point in time but out to some distant land. A place beyond Venice, beyond, Italy, perhaps a place beyond the earth its self. It was an expression so intense he found that he could not look away. This was what he wished he could paint.

His poetic thoughts where cut short by her voice.

“Rosetta told me that you were wondering why I want to help you with Ezio...” she did not turn toward him as she spoke. “I was in love once.”

“I know,” He nodded. “Rosetta told me.”

“Never could trust her to keep a secret,” Lovino shook her head looking a bit angry.

Sensing her mood he quickly moved to correct what he had said. “That is all she told me, I do not know your story,”

“Ah,” her face relaxed and after a moment she smiled sadly. “I find it hard to believe that I was in love. Lovino, the strong, bold, loud, and egotistical assassin falling in love...” she scoffed.

The artist had to agree, but he kept it to himself.

“His name was Ludwig...”

“You do not need to tell me.”

She turned to him. “I want to.”

Taken aback by the emotions in her eyes he nodded.

She turned back to the rising sun and after a moment began speaking, “He was my father's friend's son. They were from the Germanic states, and of course he was an assassin. We met when we where only seven, rather I was seven and he was nine. We where friends from that first meeting, he and Rosetta and I did everything together. We played hide and seek in the woods, and stole pies from the kitchen then giggled as we ate them on the roof. We spied on our fathers, though we never understood what they were talking about, we taught each other our languages. His Italian was terrible when we first met, and I knew no Germanic words, now... I am almost fluent.” she smiled a little. “He was so handsome, tall with blond hair and his eyes where the colour of a lake covered in ice. When he killed they lacked so much emotion it would make me shiver, but when he smiled they held so much warmth I felt like the sun was shining upon me.”

Leonardo tried to imagine this man and found that he must have been quite handsome; he certainly would have made quite the impression with eyes like that.

“When we were finally old enough to begin training to be assassins our fathers often trained us together. He was so strong he could pick up Rosetta and I at the same time!” she gave a little laugh. “One day, not sure exactly what day, I realized I was in love with him... I hated to be apart from him. I hoped that he was always thinking of me, for I was always thinking of him. The next time he and his father came to my family’s home I decided to tell him how I felt, as advised by Rosetta. He told me he loved someone else, a girl in his home land... that day I felt like my heart had been shattered. I never let him know. I acted like everything was fine, like his rejection had hardly scratched me at all. Between us nothing changed. Soon after that visit our fathers began sending the three of us out on missions to various places. We where a good team, I was the leader, calling the shots, Rosetta was the healer and the caution, and he was the strength and the strategy. Around a year ago we were sent to Rome, it was a simple mission, we here to get information from a known ally. However our ally had betrayed us to the Templars. It was a trap,” she paused for a moment, taking in a long breath. “We-e became separated from Rosetta. One of the Templars came after me from behind. I would have died had he not protected me. But by protecting me he was stabbed by the sword meant for me. I dragged his injured body into the first safe building I could find and tried to stop the bleeding...” she tilted her head down. “He died right there in my arms... T-here was nothing I could do...”

Leonardo watched silently as tears fell from under her hood and landed on the roof below her.

After a long moment she sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes. “I know what it is to love, but not what it is to be loved.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG This is the longest fan fiction I have ever written and I am not even near done. I apologize for the lateness of my update I promised this chapter over a week ago and have naught but my own laziness to blame. There will be another new chapter tomorrow. Also this chapter was interrupted by my cat, he got out and I had to chase him around for about 2 hours!

The next morning came with an ever present feeling of laziness. Leonardo sat listlessly at one of the workbenches, a forgotten piece of parchment in front of him. His mind wandered with the subtle sound of rain hitting the roof. With expressionless eyes he watched Lovino expertly cut fabric with her hidden blade, pins held in her mouth as she crawled around the floor measuring and cutting the deep red fabric. Hard to believe that she was making a dress for him. He scoffed at the idea in his mind and turned his eyes back to Rosetta who was sketching away on the other side of the sturdy table. The blond vaguely remembered that he had agreed to teacher her. Which in turn brought up the reminder of his apprentice, Salai. His obnoxious apprentice had gone home for a few months to visit his family, Leonardo was actually somewhat glad to be rid of him, the younger man had only been under his wing for a year and he had already stolen his money multiple times, and mooched around the workshop. Though, Leonardo could not deny that Salai was quite handsome, though nothing compared to Ezio.

"What was with that face?"

The artist blinked and focused his gaze on Rosetta. "What look?"

She gave a slight shrug. "You just looked, I do not know, angry yet fond."

From across the room Lovino spoke up. "What an odd mix of emotions, wish I could have seen it."

"It was a bit funny," Rosetta replied.

Deciding to interrupt the girls before they began making fun of his face Leonardo spoke up. "I was thinking of my apprentice, he went off to visit his family, and I was wondering when he would return. Soon I would think."

Lovino gave him a contemptuous look. "You forgot when he was coming back?"

"Well, no," he scratched the back of his neck.

"You forgot," the blond assassin grind and stood up to stretch.

"What do you expect?" he felt himself blush a bi at his own stupidity, he was supposed to be a genius! "I have been suffering through the presence of you two, making messes and throwing everything out of order, I am surprised that I can even remember my own name!"

Lovino frowned. "Oh, we are not that bad."

Leonado rolled his eyes as Rosetta said, "You are."

"Am not!" the short woman began stomping toward her friend.

"You are! Sometimes I am surprised that I am not killed because of you!"

Lovino stopped in her tracks the rage slowly fading from her face to be replaced by an empty look. Her eyes, normally so fill of life dulled and her whole body seamed to shrink in on itself.

Leonardo turned his eyes to Rosetta to see her holding her hands over her mouth her eyes brimming with guilt. Slowly she dropped her charcoal stained hands. "I am so sorry... Lovino?"

The blonde did not reply, she just turned and moved back to her piles of fabric.

"Lovino," Rosetta stood, the heavy bench scrapping on the floor.

"It is fine," Lovino replied softly.

"No it is not fine," Rosetta started to move across the room.

"Stay there!" both Rosetta and Leonardo where taken aback by the commanding tone in her voice. "Just... stay right there, I am fine."

Not moving the taller of the two woman spoke up again. "I am-" but she was cut off by Lovino's harsh tone.

"Sorry I know."

For a few pregnant moments the room sat in silence, before Lovino began cutting the fabric again.

Leonardo felt himself release a breath he did not realize he had been holding.

After a second Rosetta moved back to her drawing, but she still glanced up at Lovino every once in a while. Both she and Leonardo noticed how Lovino's hands now shook as she cut the blood red fabric.

When afternoon finally rolled around the mood in the workshop had returned to a peaceful one. The rain, however, continued to tap against the roof.

The room’s three occupants were enjoying a late afternoon meal when they were interrupted by the door opening.

All of them looked up to see a soaking wet, angry man. "Miserable weather."

"Salai?!"

Walking over the man replied. "Who else? I told you I would be back today."

Leonardo stood up and walked over to him, not sure of exactly how to greet his apprentice. "Of, course, must of slipped my mind," Leonardo patted the younger mans shoulder awkwardly. "Let us get you dried off. It would be dreadful if you caught a cold," turning Leonardo moved toward the stairs. "Where are your things?"

"They will be here soon," Salai followed.

"Alright," over his shoulder Leonardo called to the two assassins still sitting at the table. "We will be back in just a moment then I can introduce you all."

When the artist and his apprentice had disappeared up the stairs, Lovino turned to Rosetta. "I do not like him."

The brunette raised one eye brow. "You have not even met him."

"I do not need to."

From years of experience Rosetta knew it was best not to argue with the stubborn girl and simply rolled her eyes, letting the subject drop.

Upstairs Leonardo led Salai to his room. "Get out of those wet things," He instructed while moving to his closet to find something for the younger man to barrow. When he turned around he found Salai completely naked. The artist blushed brightly and turned his eyes away, holding out the cloths. "Put these on for now."

His young apprentice took the cloths, smirking. "Grazie."

Still looking away Leonardo turned towards the door. "Come down when you are changed," With that the embarrassed artist fled the room.

Soon Salia come back down, dressed in Leonardo's slightly too large cloths. He joined Leonardo at the table, glancing at Rosetta, also sated at the table, and Lovino who was once again working on cutting the red fabric. The turned to his master. "Since when do you entertain women?"

The blond felt his face grow hot. "Salai, this is Rosetta Verde and Lovino Incendio. Rosetta, Lovino this is my apprentice Salai."

"Lovino is a boy’s name," Salai smirked.

Lovino glared at him. "I hate you."

"Lovino!" Rosetta yelled. "That was uncalled for!"

She shrugged. "It was perfectly called for, I do not wish to fake politeness to him. It is best that we know where the other stands."

"In that case," Salai smirked. "I do not like you ether."

Lovino smiled with a cruel glint in her eye. "Good."


	11. chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lovino is pissed.

The next day brought Lovino back working on the red dress as Leonardo sat across one of the work tables from Rosetta; it was beginning to become some sort of morning tradition for the three of them to be positioned as such. This morning however was promptly interrupted by Salai's loud footsteps as he came down the stairs.

“Good morning!”

Lovino looked up at the young brunette with a glare. “Go die.”

“Lovino!” Rosetta stood up with a seething look. “Apologize.”

The blonde just raised an eye brow, looking rather impassive. “You’re not my mother,”

“No, but I am sure she would be disappointed in you,” Rosetta shook her head.

“Hum,” Lovino shrugged. “Parents are always disappointed in their children.”

Salai glanced between the two woman. “Do not bother yourself, Rosetta. I am not insulted by her childish barbs.”

The blue eyed assassin huffed before standing up. “I am going out,” she pulled on a dark cloak over her white assassin uniform before heading to the door, just as she reached the handle a polite knock resounded through the wood. With an annoyed huff Lovino opened the door and looked at the person on the other side. “Valentino? What are you doing here?”

A low voice came from the entrance. “I came to see my fiancé.”

“Valentino!?” Rosetta swiftly stood and ran to the door, politely squeezing between Lovino and the door. “What are you doing here?” she reached out and took the hand of the man outside the door and dragged him in to the workshop, forcing Lovino to backup while she muttered “Fiancee?”

Leonardo watched the scene with interest, realizing that this Valentino, was the man that Rosetta was in love with.

The man that Rosetta pulled into the room, was tall with black hair and stunningly blue eyes. The poor man seemed to be quite embarrassed, based off the light blush that coloured his cheeks.

“Leonardo, Salai, this is Valentino,” Rosetta introduced. “Valentino, this is Leonardo da Vinci and his apprentice Salai.”

From behind the happy couple Lovino slammed the door. “I have a question,” her voice was filled with venom as all eyes turned to her. “When where you going to tell me that you are getting married?”

Rosetta's eyes widened. “I... uh, I'm sorry. I did not want to tell you because it thought you would get mad...”

“Well I am mad now,” the young girl looked absolutely frightening as she stood tall, hands clenched at her sides and her dark eyes sharp.

“I am sorry, really, but now you know,” the brunette dropped her fiancé’s hand and stepped toward her enraged friend.

“So,” Lovino ignored her friends advance and turned instead to Valentino, who backed up a step. “What exactly are you doing here? Why have you graced us with your presence?”

“I, I was worried about Rosetta, I had not heard from her in months,” the black haired man looked everywhere but at Lovino.

“Thought something had happened to her?” Lovino rolled her eyes. “Think I am incapable of looking after my best friend? So you have to come and protect her!?”

Valentino suddenly glared at the blond. “Well after what happened to Ludwig, I would not trust you with anyone's life!”

The room went quiet.

“Lovino,” Valentino stepped forward, “I-I am s-,”

“Shut up!” Lovino screamed, “Shut up all of you! How dare you, you, you, asshole!” she glared at everyone with red eyes before turning to Rosetta. “I thought you where my friend and that I could trust you!” She turned to Valentino. “You are an ignorant fool, who has no right to accuse me for his death,” she then glared at Leonardo and Salai. “Leonardo you knew that she was engaged! I can tell from your face. And you!” she pointed at Salai. “I wish you would just die!” tears began to fall from her eyes. With a sob she pulled open the door, only to reveal a surprised looking Ezio. “Ezio!?” She blinked at him through tear filled eyes. “You, you stop being so attractive!” she then shoved past him and out into the city.

For a long moment everyone remained silent in surprise.

Ezio broke the silence. “Am I supposed to feel insulted?”

Rosetta shook her head. “I am sorry... this is my fault. I will go find her,” she swiftly left the workshop to find the short assassin before she did something rash.

Rosetta quickly climbed to the top of the roofs. From her experience she knew that Lovino, in her currant emotional state, would ether go on a guard killing spree or run and hide somewhere. She ignored the calls of a nearby guard on the roof to get down, and pulled up her hood quickly, setting off across the roofs.

Two hours later Rosetta was becoming desperate. She had searched the thieves’ guild, even talked to Antonio. She had run through every street and walked every roof. It seemed to her that Lovino had disappeared.

The brunette sat on the edge of one of the roofs by the docks, staring out at the sun set. If she did not find Lovino soon, the others would worry. Off in the distance, over the loud sounds of the docks she though she heard a whisper of a voice. Rosetta stood and turned around, listening intently for the sound to come again. For a moment there was nothing, but with a gust of wind came the noise again.

Singing.

Confused, she followed the disembodied voice to its source.

As she drew near the San Marco Campanile, the song came became clear. It was a tune she recognized. A song from her childhood.

"Die Rosen wollen verblühn wenn sie dich sehn. Louise - mein Herz. Du musst verstehn, Nur ohne dich wird unsere Liebe währn,"

Rosetta stopped and leaned against a chimney and let the song permeate her ears. She was transported back to the dark forest behind the Incendio house hold. Years of her childhood where filled with discovering the trees secrets. Days spent running across streams, tripping over roots, chasing imaginary Nymphs.

She was eleven, sitting on the ground behind a shady tree. Lovino with her short boys hair cut and torn dress sat on her left and Ludwig sat left of Lovino together they made a triangle around the base of the tree. Their backs all turned toward the trunk.

It had been a long day of running, climbing, exploring, and now resting. From her right the younger Rosetta heard Ludwig begin to sing in his native tongue. His low voice echoed through the empty trees.

It had been a good day.

It had been so long ago.

Rosetta opened her eyes, done with remembering the past.

"Die Zeit verrinnt, Die Blätter fallen, Nacht schwebt heran, Tag ohne wiederkehr, Ein Schatten naht,"

Now the voice that drifted over the city was not that of a male. It was Lovino. Rosetta had heard her sing enough times to be sure. She smiled a bit, her short friend did have a wonderful voice, almost enchanting. One could hear every emotion pouring through the words, effortlessly.

Rosetta turned her head toward the tower and spotted Lovino's white clad figure above her, perched on a ledge.

"Verdunkelt alle Welt, Löscht deine Schritte, Nimmt dich mit, Dich fort,"

Turing her head down she noticed several people down in the square below looking up at the tower, transfixed. They probably thought that she was an angel come to bless their city. Foolish notion.

With a swift moment Rosetta stood from the chimney and began climbing the tower.

"Louise - mein Herz. Wo willst du hin? Das Wasser trägt uns jetzt ins Morgenlicht. Louise - so kalt."

The higher she climbed the more desperate she was to get Lovino down. Rosetta was never very fond of high places. She had to congratulate Lovino on picking the one place that she knew the brunette would not check. Of course she was well aware of how intelligent the blond was, she had probably gone up there on purpose.

With a sigh she pulled herself up to Lovino's ledge and sat next to her friend. Closing her eyes.

Lovino only turned and smirked.

"Umsorgt von der Unendlichkeit des Augenblicks. Er ist da. Er ist da. Louise - mein Herz. Vergib mir nicht."

"Lovino," Rosetta cracked one eye open. "Please come down. Everyone is worried,"

"Die Welt hält an, Will sich nicht weiter drehn. Louise - und doch."

"I know what Valentino said was wrong, he knows it too," she turned to her pleadingly.

The shorter woman's enchaining voice stopped and she smiled. "Oh and deprive all those people down there of beautiful music?" she gestured with her arms to the small crowd gathered below.

Rosetta looked down, then quickly back up. "You are enjoying this too much, watching them down at your feet."

The blond smirked. "I will admit that I have a bit of a god complex."

"I am sure that those people," she waved her hand down at the people below, but kept her eyes shut. "Believe we are some sort of angels."

Lovino laughed. "I believe we are beautiful enough."

"Your ego is much too big," Rosetta knew that Lovino was pontedly ignoring the reason she had come up here in the first place. But, perhaps, that was best. The women next to her was not one for long emotional talks, she was especially not one for crying. The brunette suspected that Lovino's father's wish for a son had not only affected her name.

"Let's go, it’s getting very cold," Lovino stood and walked to the edge of the tower, away from the small crowd below that still watched them. Rosetta opened her eyes to watch. The small assassin then turned around facing toward Rosetta. She winked and fell over backwards.

Rosetta rolled her eyes and maneuvered down the tower and back on to the roof where she meet the smirking Lovino. Safe. "Please do not do that! Every time I see you make a leap of faith I think you will miss the hay and end up as a splat on the ground!"

"Oh come on it is just part of being an assassin. We both had to jump off the church tower back home,"

"That was different," Rosetta crossed her arms. "It was not nearly as high! And must you always go backwards,"

"Adds to the dramatic effect," Lovino smirked. "Let's go home,"

When the two young assassins returned to the workshop they were greeted with many relieved faces, or rather three revealed faces and one rather indifferent face. Salai would have been perfectly content if the two had never returned.

After lots of apologies and laughter, Ezio left, leaving behind a codex page, Valentino kissed Rosetta's cheek and went left to return to his rented room across the city, and the two men and two women went to bed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I am sooooooo sorry about the whole not updating thing, that's why this chapter is longer. it is my crappy apology. I have been very busy with applying to collage. Once November is over I should get back to updating faster!  
> The songs Lovino sings are:  
> Bruises and Bitemarks by Good with Grenades  
> Louise by Eisblume 
> 
> Enjoy.

The next morning Leonardo awoke to a noise from down stairs. Curious he dressed and made his way to the ground floor of the workshop. As he drew closer he realized the sound was Lovino singing.

Reaching the bottom step Leonardo saw the young girl moving quickly around the room with a broom, attempting to sweep, but was more dancing around, broom acting as her partner. He stood still watching her.

As she spun her white and purple robes swirled around her, and her bare feet made little patting noises against the floor.

"I wished to God I never was born;  
I felt like a sheep with it's wool all shorn.  
When I was just a shaver”

Rather distractedly Leonardo wondered where Rosetta and Salai where. The artist did not fully comprehend the words that the short girl was uttering.

"When we'd left behind the ice and rain,  
And once more to the tropics we came,  
The mate came buggering once again.  
When I was just a shaver”

Suddenly, the words permeated the artist mind and he started laughing.

Lovino intently stopped moving and turned to face him, her face slowing growing red.

"W-where you singing some sea shanty about sex?"

Lovino glared at him. "Stop laughing!" she looked like a pouting child.

"Mi dispiace," Lonardo waved his hands apologetically, still chuckling. "it was just so unexpected,"

Still embarrassed, Lovino returned the broom to where it normally sat in a dark unused corner of the workshop.

Regaining his composure, the artist moved to one of the work benches and sat down. "Where have Rosetta and Salai disappeared to?"

Lovino turned to him, happy for the change of subject. "I am not sure, they left early."

"Together?"

"Yes," the short woman moved across the room to sit down next to him. "They do not seem to hate each other. Which is odd, how could someone not despise that salad?” She paused for a moment. “However, I believe that Salai and I have similar personalities."

"Yes," Leonardo agreed with a smile. "The two of you are loud, opinionated, and untrustworthy."

Lovino punched his arm.

"Ow!" he rubbed his now bruised limb.  


"You deserve that. Anyways, maybe that is why we do not get along. We are too similar! But I also hate him because he is in love with you."

Lonardo turned toward her his eyes wide. "Cosa? That cannot be right," he shook his head.

"No, well… maybe he does not love you but he certainly lusts after you," she scrunches her face in disgust. "But he is so ugly! And his hair is so ridiculous!"

The artist could not help but laugh. "I do not find him so horrible, but I believe you are wrong."

"I am never wrong."

Before the artist could retort the door opened, and Rosetta and Salai walked in, loaded with food.

"Oh, that is what you two when off to get!" Lovino stood to take some of the mass amount of things her friend was holding.

"Did you not listen when I told you where we were going?" Rosetta huffed as her shorter friend lessened her load.

"Nope!" the blonde grinned.

Rosetta rolled her eyes. "We should just put all this away."

Leonardo sat and watched the three traveled upstairs, bits of their conversion drifting down to him. He would have gladly offered to help but he noticed that Rosetta had several packages of meat, and he did not really want to be anywhere close to it.

Several minutes later the three came back downstairs. Lovino and Salai, unsurprisingly having an animated argument about whether it was appropriate or not for a woman to be an assassin.

Rosetta sat down across the worktable from Leonardo and practically yelled over the other two. "So, I heard some interesting news while I was out."

Breaking off from his bantering with Lovino, Salai quickly sat down next to Leonardo, leaving the distressed assassin to sit across from him.

"Yes, apparently there where angles spotted on the San Marco Campanile! They are saying that our city must be blessed by god!" Salai explained excitedly.  


Lovino snickered and Rosetta smirked.

"I wonder," Leonardo gave the two a thoughtful look. "Did you two had anything to do with these angels?"

"Oh, Leonardo," Lovino smirked playfully. "Are you calling us angels?"

He smiled back. "Not at all,"

The blonde giggled. "Well you are quite right not to call us such. In fact those silly people have everything all wrong. Seeing me above the city is hardly a blessing from god," she was still smiling but it did not reach her dark eyes. "No, it is a curse from hell."

Sensing that the conversation might quickly go downhill, Rosetta tactfully changed subjects. "Leonardo, has Valentino stopped by today? He said yesterday that he would come back here."

He shook his head. "Not yet, it is still rather early I am sure he will be by later."

She nodded.

For a moment Lovino gave her a bit of a perplexed look. "How can it be that you are getting married when you have not even been kissed?"

Rosetta gave her friend an equally confused look. "I have been kissed."

"By who?! Why have you not told me this!?"

"It was a long time ago and I was embarrassed, you never asked about it so I never told you," the dark haired assassin's cheeks began to redden. "It was with Luca..."

"Luca? The stable boy?" Lovino began giggling. "Really?!"

Rosetta glared. "Quit it would you!"

"Mi dispiace, but I just cannot image that. How did it happen?"

Her cheeks red Rosetta began her story. "We were about ten and mamma asked me to go talk to Luca's father about getting more milk from the cows, so I went and told him, and when I was walking out Luca came up to me with a big bunch of daises he had picked. It was just so sweet of him that I just leaned in and kissed him,"

"Awww," Lovino grinned. "That is so cute!"

Leonardo smiled at Rosetta. "I agree it is a very sweet story,"

Salai looked unimpressed; Lovino kicked him.

Now curious Leonardo turned to the feisty blond. "And what about you, Lovino?"

"Well," she turned to him, grinning. "Now that you ask!" and with gusto she launched into her story. "I was thirteen at the time. Just a few weeks earlier I had chopped off all my hair with a pair of sheers, it was shorter then even yours! And there was this boy in out village. Nicolo, he was so mean, he said I was not a girl, cause I had cut my hair and sometimes wore pants. I told him he was stupid, of course I was a girl. So he told me to prove it. And I, not thinking of a better idea just kissed him," she grinned proudly. "He has not bothered me since, mostly because all of his friends where there."

Leonardo chuckled. "Why do I find that story very unsurprising?"

"Because she is a rude, annoying, and not in the least bit feminine," Salai supplied bitterly.

"Salai," Leonardo was ready to lecture the boy.

"No he is right," she grinned. "But what about you Leonardo? Surly you have a story for us."

Eyes going wide he turned to the tow women, noticing that both of them wore similar grins. "O-oh, I um..." he ducked his head down and mumbled."I have never been kissed..."

"What?!" three astonished voices shouted.

"But you’re so handsome and smart," Rosetta shook her head.

The artist just shrugged.

"Well do not fret Leonardo, if all goes well with the plan, you will have your kiss," Lovino winked at him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am soooooo sorry. I meant to have this up much sooner, but things have been really crazy in my life lately. Hopefully I will now be back to the schedule of updating once a week. This chapter is extra long to make up for that! marry Christmas. We are having some issues with format I will fix them in the morning because it is really late and I'm very tired.

A loud bang rang through the workshop, causing Leonardo to look up from the codex page he was poring over and rousing the sleeping Ezio from where he sat on a hard wooden chair.

  
“Hey!” Lovino rushed through the door she had slammed open, her mouth moving a million miles per hour. “Hey! So I was out doing some exploring when I found this thing in the wall and I pulled on it and it like flipped around and there is this secret tunnel! And there where voices coming from down there and we should go explore it!” She grinned at them.

Ezio shook his head. “I'm sorry could you repeat that?”

Lovino sighed dramatically and opened her mouth to begin again when Rosette’s voice interrupted from the stairs. “She said she found a secret tunnel, and she thinks we should explore”

“Hum,” Ezio made a thinking face. “Where did you find this?”

“The Santa maria della visitazione. It was on a tower only accessed by the roof.”

He nodded. “And the thing that you pulled to open the door was it shaped like a skull?”

“Yes,” Lovino looked confused. “How did you know?”

The brunette assassin smiled. “Well my dear Lovino, you seem to have found a resting place for one of the greatest assassins.”

“Really?” Rosetta came the rest of the way downstairs.

Ezio nodded. “Yes, each one has a seal in it that is hidden with the body of the assassin and blocked by many puzzles. The seals are used to unlock the armor of the great assassin Altair,” “Let us go get it then,” The shortest assassin turned and ran back to the door in a whirl of white and purple robes. The other two followed her quickly.

With a thud Leonardo was alone. “I will just stay here then shall I?” he glared at the door. “Muti assassin!”

* * *

 

The Three assassins stood on the roof of the Santa maria della visitazione looking in to the dark tunnel. A breeze filtered out of the dim corridor, bringing with it a smell of rot.

“Who would like to go first?” Lovino looked up at her two companions.

“I thought it was always ladies first,” Ezio smirked.

Smirking back the blonde replied. “Well then I guess that means you first.” She gave him a shove toward the tunnel.

With a role of her eyes Rosetta calmly stepped into the hole in the tower. “Come on children.”

With a glance at each other Ezio and Lovino followed her. As they walked down the stone corridor they began to hear two male voices that belonged to some guards playing a game.

The trio came to stop at the edge of a long drop. The guard’s voices echoing from below. Peering through the dark Ezio spied a pile of hay at the bottom and quickly jumped falling with a soft noise into the hay.

One of the guards in heavy armor stood up. “There is something moving in that haystack.”

Unconcerned the other stayed seated, a bit annoyed by his companions overcautious action that interrupted their game. “Sit back down; we are in the middle of a tarot game.”

The one with the heavy armor kept advancing toward the hay, his ax held at the ready. “No no. This time I saw something. I know it.” He began prodding the hay.

Rolling his eyes the skinnier guard watched. “That's what you say every time!”

Above the two female assassins watched, one biting her lip, the other leaning on the wall.

Suddenly, a small mouse fled the haystack. The heavy guard jumped back in surprise. His companion began to laugh. “You where right, there was something in the haystack you femminuccia!” He stood up and moved toward the tunnel leading to where the other guards where, intent on telling them about his friend’s fear of little mice.

Smirking Ezio quickly moved out of the hay and stabbed the large guard with his hidden blade.

Turing to once again gloat the smaller man yelled seeing his friend falling to the floor reviling the assassin behind him.

Spotting their chance Lovino quickly jumped into the pile of hay, followed seconds later by Rosetta.

“Assassini!” Screamed the Templar guard and he quickly cut the rope holding up a metal gate, blocking the three assassins from following him.

The three assassins moved to the tunnel next to it, climbing over boxes and other odd things that had collected in the space after years of not being used.

Lovino laughed as she pulled ahead of the others, treating it like a race. With a grin she spotted the guard bellow them through wood support bemes placed over a large gap in the floor.

She jumped when she came to another ledge grabbing into bars that stuck out of the walls and lading directly behind the guard with a graceful somersault.

“Leave me alone!” Screamed the guard as he turned to see the short assassin within a few feet of him.

“Not a chance!” She giggled back.

Frightened, half believing it was some daemon chasing him, the guard quickly cut another rope, causing another gate to almost fall on Loveno's head. She slammed into to the gate with a curse.

Rosetta and Ezio caught up and moved to the gap next to the gate that had more wooden support beems sticking out of the walls, making an easy crossing for any assassin. With a frown the smallest followed them. They chased the man through many twists and turns, through large rooms and past dusty shelves filled with books. Lovino always in the lead.

Coming around a corner they ran in to the largest room yet, seeing another room though a large door filled with guards Lovino got a burst of speed and caught up to the small guard they were chasing just as he began to close the large doors to the other room. Grinning she jumped on him, shoving her hidden blade through his throat as they fell. The other guards quickly rushed forward to attack the assassins.

“Asassini!” Yelled one as he rushed at Lovino.

“No way!” She shouted back pulling out her two swords to block his attack. Next to her one of the other guards went down as Rosetta thew a knife at him, he grasped at the hilt buried deep in his throat. Jumping past the fallen guard Ezio pulled out his sword and attacked a third guard.

Dogging guard’s sword by ducking Lovino slashed the man’s leg causing him to fall. She quickly lifted her sword and stabbed him through the chest.

To the left of Lovino, Rosetta fought a heavily armored guard with short dagger, and a knife dipped in poison. Stabbing the knife through a weak spot near the guards elbow she jumped back, avoiding his ax and waited for her poison to take effect. It only t.ook a manner of seconds

Ezio quickly detached the last guard with a swift upward cut to his chest. Rather disappointed by the lack of skill these guards had.

“Well,” Lovino sighed, returning the swords to her sides. “I think the Templars need to spend more time training their guards.”

Rosetta shook her head and moved to extract the poisoned knife from the large guard and then the one buried in the others neck. Grimacing as it made a squelching noise.

“I agree,” Ezio nodded as he moved toward a large gate that had another skull lock on it. He pulled it out and watched as the mechanical parts rearranged the skull so that it was upside down. With loud clanking noises the gate was pulled open revealing another stone tunnel leading down. The smell of rot seemed to be more intense.

“Smells like there might be water ahead,” Rosetta moved up next to Ezio and looked down the dark stairs.  


“Oh, please no,” Lovino moved to stand on Ezio's right. “I hate water.”

Ezio began walking down the stairs. “There is no way for us to know until we go all the way down.”

With a dramatic sigh Lovino stepped into the dark tunnel, followed quickly by Rosetta.

When Ezio reached the bottom of the stairs he knew that they had finally reached the tomb. The room was huge, the ceiling reaching high over Ezio's head. In the middle was a large white stone structure, with enormous columns, making it look like some of the ruins he had seen in Rome, the front of the building had obvious assassin symbol on it but it was slightly misaligned. He figured it had something to do with the puzzle to open the door. Around the room where dark crumbling pedestals and paths of rock covered in slick moss all surrounded by murky water.

Next to him Lovino sighed, looking down at the water. “I hate water.”

“Hey,” a bit to their right Rosetta called out. They turned to look at her. “What do you suppose this does?” she gestured to a wooden wheel with a large handle on it.

“Part of the puzzle,” Ezio replied critically. He moved over to it and messed with it for a moment then with a grunt he pushed the lever so that it pointed straight toward the ceiling. The wheel began spinning and around the room panels of the wall slid down reveling bars with a red square in them. One of the pillars twisted around, several metal bars fell out of the walls with loud clanks and an ominous ticking resounded through the room.

“Amazing!” Lovino spun around wide eyed.

Tilting her head and looking at one of the bars with the red box in it Rosetta stated. “It is on a timer.”

“We had best get going then,” Nodded Ezio.

Lovino sat down on the floor. “No way, I am not going! If I mess up I will fall in the water!”

“I think that's the point,” Rosetta chuckled.

“We could take turns,” The male assassin suggested. “We can each take a turn and see how far we can make it. I will go first.” He jumped onto the side of the contraption with the wheel and pulled the lever down. Causing Rosetta to laugh because he looked rather silly with his body almost parallel to the ground when he let go.

Lovino however was not paying attention; she had moved to the edge of the water and was peering into its dark depths. Down in the murky water she thought she saw something move. It looked like... like a tentacle? “Um..... Rosetta......” she squeaked as she scooted back from the water. “Rosetta, I think there is something in the water!”

“Sure there is, Lovino,” Her friend did not even turn her head away from the other brunette. “Why not make bets out of it?” She smirked. “I will bet you five florins that I can make it around in one try.”

Ezio grinned. “Alright, I bet you ten that you will fall.”

“Fine!” They shook hands.

While the too dark haired assassins where busy making bets Lovino had moved back to the edge of the water. With a splash two large tentacles sprang out of the water showering Lovino with water and causing her to scream.

Tensing and moving their hands toward their weapons Rosetta and Ezio turned to her. “What?!”

“There where tentacles and they came out of the water! I am telling the truth!” Lovino looked up at her friends with large eyes.

Rosetta crossed her arms. “Stop trying to pull a prank Lovino!”

“I'm not I swear! I swear on Ludwig's necklace, I am not lying!” She reached toward the black cord around her neck as she talked.

Rosetta sighed. “Maybe you are just seeing things, or it was a fish, giant octopuses do not exist.”

The frightened blonde stood and walked back to the stairs and sat down. “Fine! Do not believe me! I will just watch as you get eaten by whatever it is!”

Moving toward her with a smirk Ezio spoke. “Maybe you where just thinking about something else that's large and long,” He wiggled his eye brows, causing Lovino to laugh.

“Really?!” she shook her head. “Is now the time for lewd jokes?”

He chuckled. “But I cheered you up!”

She gave him a small smile. “I suppose that is correct, but I still think I saw a huge octopus.”

“We will not know if it wants to eat us if we do not try to solve the puzzle,” he pointed out.

She sighed, relenting. “You are right. Have at it then,” She waved him off. “Have fun.”

“I shall endeavor to do so,” He smiled and turned back to the wheel and pushed the lever back up then ran toward the short pillars at the end of the stones that the wheel contraption was on.

The two women watched him, after only getting to the ledge in the rock that was behind the pillars he stopped confused as how to next proceed. He decided the best course of action would be to run a bit up the wall and then turn his body and jump toward the bar sticking out of the wall, however the planning was much easier than the actual execution. Instead of doing an odd sideways jump to reach the bar, Ezio over jumped and ended up completely missing the bar and falling into the water. “Merda!” He shouted as he surfaced and began to swim back to his friends. It was so cold!

He hauled himself back on to the dry platform, sopping wet.

“Wow, you did not even make it half way!” Rosetta laughed.

He glared. “It is much harder than it looks.”

Still laughing she moved over to the lever and resets it. As soon as the ticking began again she started off.

Doing his best to shake the water off himself Ezio moved next to Lovino, who now sat with her head resting on her hands and her elbows on her knees.

“Ew!” she moved away as he got some water on her. “Don't get near me! You are all wet!”

“Aw,” he frowned and moved closer his arms outstretched to hug her. “But I am cold and need a nice warm body to heat me back up”

The blonde kept moving away. “Too bad Leonardo's not here, you could snuggle with him, that man's like a fire place!”

They both stopped moving when their ears picked up the sound of Rosetta shrieking followed by a splash.

Several moments later the dark haired woman appeared and also pulled herself out of the water. “Made it farther then you!” She grinned at Ezio. “I made it to the first bar that needs to be pulled down,” she pointed at the white building showing Ezio and Lovino that while they had been messing around the top part of the symbol had moved.

“Fine, fine,” Ezio turned back to Lovino. “Your turn, my dear.”

She quickly backed up into the wall, still sitting. “Oh, no, I am fine. You two go ahead! I'll just watch.”

“But we have to take turns,” Ezio moved closer. “You have to go,” He stated to get a very mischievous look in his eyes.

“B-but... I don't know how to swim!” she shouted.

“Yes you do,” Came Rosetta's voice from behind him.

“Traitor,” She mumbled.

“That settles it then,” Ezio bent down and easily picked up Lovino's small body.

When lifted in to the air she began kicking wildly. “What are you doing!? Put me down!”

“Alright, I will put you down!” He moved to the water’s edge and then dropped Lovino. With a short squeak she splashed in to the water. Seconds later she popped back up and quickly pulled herself out of the freezing water. “Ich werde dich töten! Scheisse Kopf!”

Ezio swiftly moved behind Rosetta. “I cannot understand you!”

“Ho detto che sei una testa di merda!” She screamed and ran at him, her eyes red. It was only Rosetta's strong arms that prevented Ezio's demise at the hands of the short assassin.

“Lovino you are already wet, so you may as well give it a try,” The taller of the two women tried to calm her raging friend.

“Fine!” Lovino whipped around “And I will make it when nether of you could! Rosetta reset the timer.”

With a sigh the brunette assassin did as Lovino instructed.

As soon as the timer began Lovno ran toward the pillars.

“I think you just saved my life,” Ezio leaned toward Rosetta.

“Lovino has a bit of a murderous temper. Hopefully running around will calm her down,” she sighed as she watched Lovino's small figure.

“May I ask you a serious question?” Ezio's eyes also followed the little assassin.

Rosetta shrugged.

“I was just wondering why you two are assassins? There are many women who would never do what you do, and many of the female assassins I know kill only rarely.”

Rosetta sighed and turned to look at the man next to her, seeing as Lovino had moved out of her sight. “It is odd isn't it? Lovno and I could live such different lives. What with her father’s money, she could have a life where she wishes for nothing and worries only about what the cook is making for supper. In fact looking at us I am sure it is not hard to image the life we could have. Lovino a lonely lady dressed in silk and diamonds, going to balls and I her lady’s maid and best friend. She and I would giggle about the handsome suitors that asked for her hand. One day she would marry one of them, not out of love but for money. I would likely marry a nice butler or a footman. It would be a peaceful, boring life, filled with fancy dinners, long walks and noblemen. Eventually we would go old and die. But that is not our life, in some ways I am sorry for that, I mourn the peace we could have enjoyed. But that is not the life we decided to live, her father gave us a choice when he offered to train us. We could be proper ladies or join something bigger then ourselves. Be assassins and live a life of loss, and death, but also a life of excitement, and adventure, and freedom. I am very glad we chose this life.”

Just as Rosetta finished talking she heard a shout to her left, she looked over and spied Lovino hanging off the last bar, a grin on her face.

Across the water the white building showed a proper assassins symbol for a moment, then the door opened and stairs rose out of the water.

Lovino dropped from the bar and into the water where she swam to the stairs. Rosetta and Ezio hopped across the water and to the stairs. Cold, wet and grinning the trio entered the tomb.

* * *

 

Hours later they entered the workshop calling out excitedly to Leonardo, who sat at a work bench painting.

“Seem you had an exciting day,” he smiled at them, glad to see his fiends so happy.

“You have no idea!” with that the assassins began to tell their friend about the crazy adventure they had.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, sorry really meant to finish this earlier, but I have been very sick lately, but look it is done! Hopefully I will stop being so erratic about updating at the right time.  
> Also I can not get over the terrible series of plans series, stupid thing but it amuses me!  
> warning: this chapter involves two men making out and some touching ;)

“Alright,” Lovino announced when she shut the door behind Ezio as he left, a newly decoded codex page in hand. “It is time to truly get started with preparing for Carnival,” she walked across the room and stood in front of Leonardo, hands on her hips as she looked up at his face. “So, I will get busy sewing, while Rosetta teaches you how to act like a woman!”

Rosetta looked up from a paper she was busy scribbling away on. “What?! Why do I have to teach him?”

“Because you are much more lady like then me,” Lovino grinned at her friend then turned and walked over to the pile of fabric in the corner and plopped herself down in the middle of the mess of red.

Rosetta looked at Leonardo, who in turn looked warily back at her. “Well,” the brunette put down her piece of charcoal and pushed back from the table, the workbench scrapping across the hard floor. “I guess we will have to start with the voice,” she frowned. “Now, warning I have never taught a man to be a woman before so this will be a bit messy.”

The artist chuckled. “Well, I have never attempted to be a woman,”

Across the room Lovino started humming, her needle being stuck and pulled, stuck and pulled.

“Okay so I guess,” Rosetta scratched her head. “Just try talking like a girl,”

Leonardo sighed, knowing that it was going to be a long day.

* * *

 

 

After hours of speaking and pointers and yelling and confusion, the moon was high in the night sky Leonardo felt that he could adequately sound like a somewhat deep voiced woman.

“Eccellente!” cried Rosetta as Leonardo managed to work through a whole conversation without braking character, or laughing.

Lovino held up the finished outer layer of the skirt with a grin. “Good progress everyone!” she promptly fell over and curled up in the fabric, intent on going to sleep. “We shall continue tomorrow.”

Rosetta rubbed her tired eyes and stood from the bench he had sat on several hours ago.

“Yes, I agree,” Leonrado yawned then realized that he had spoken in his girl voice again and sighed. “How,” He cleared his throat. “How am I supposed to talk to my customers if I keep accidentally talking like a woman?”

“Just tell 'em that your voice is changing,” Lovino's slurred voice came from the pile of red.

The blond shook his head and moved to the stairs. “Buonanotte,” he called as he moved up the creaky wood.

Two mumbled replies followed him to bed.

* * *

 

 

Leonardo wakes in the middle of the night to a sound at his window.

He waits a moment, totally still in his bed, his mind trickling him that something malevolent is coming to get him.

The sound comes again, a knock on the window, followed by a voice. “Leonardo.”

Quickly, the artist gets out of bed and runs, barefoot across the cold floor to the window. He moves the heavy curtains away from the window. “Ezio?” He opens the latch on the window and pushes it open.

The assassin steps in, pushing his white hood off, revealing his face.

“Ezio, what are you-” Leonardo is silenced when Ezio grabs onto him and forcefully presses his lips against the artist's.

Shocked, Leonardo stays still for a moment, then realizing what is happening he wraps his arms around the brunette, his eyes fluttering shut and a small moan escaping him.

Ezio uses Leonardo's moan to slip is tongue into the others mouth. Frantically exploring and claiming the artist’s mouth.

Needing to breathe the blonde pulls back, panting.

Ezio begins kissing his neck, nipping and sucking.

“You are going to,” Leonardo groans, “leave marks.”

The assassin smirks against his skin, “Good,” He starts pushing Leonardo back toward his bed. When the back off his legs touch the side of it Ezio pushes him so he falls back, then crawls on top of him and starts kissing him again.

Leonardo moves his hands to Ezio's brown hair, pulling out of its customary pony tail. He begins running his hands through the soft strands. Ezio's hands move across the blonde's clothed body before ending at his crotch where he cups the obvious bulge pressing against the fabric of his cloths. The blonde moans. Ezio pulls back from the artist’s lips. “Look what we have here.” He gives Leonardo a soft squeeze. He moans again, blushing because he sounds like some whore from a brothel. “Let's get these out of the way.”

Leonardo's blue eyes watch as Ezio begins pushing away layers of red skirts.

Wait.... red skirts! He realizes he is wearing a puffy red dress.

With a gasp he wakes.

“Oh!” he turns his head to see Lovino standing in his door way, morning light filtering in behind her. “I was coming to wake you up, but it looks like you woke yourself up,” she smiles and then glances pointedly at his crotch. “You might want to take care of that before you come eat the wonderful food I have made,” with that the short woman turns and leaves, the bedroom door shutting behind her.

Leonado lifts his head and looks down his body, gowning at his obvious erection covered by the sheets and flops his head back down.

“What a perfectly terrible way to start the day,”

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, okay I am sorry in know I didn't update for a long time... I'm sorry. I really have no good excuse for not updating, but things have been stressful and busy and I was lacking inspiration. But I'm updating now and hopefully I will keep updating on a more regular basis now. Please enjoy the new chapter.

Leonardo's day did not get any better. As the sun climbed through the blue sky the artist found himself subjected to more lessons on how to become a woman. Rosetta forced him to parade around with books stacked on his head, first with no shoes and then with some woman’s heels that the brunette assassin had conjured up from some unknown place. He was actually surprised that the shoes fit, he was, after all, not a short man and thus his feet were, in his opinion obnoxiously large.

He wobbled as he walked back and forth across the brick floor of his workshop, followed by taunts and sarcastic comments from Lovino. Words like, “You look like a drunk sailor,”, “I’m sure most of the guards in this city could do better,” and “You'll never get a man looking like that!” did little to help his confidence.

With each comment from Lovino, Rosetta would glare over at her friend who would hide behind yards of red.

Leonardo was relieved when Rosetta finally said, “Alright you can take a break.”

Just as he sat down a knock came at the door. Leaving the artist to rub his abused feet Rosetta answered it.

“Oh, hey! I was not expecting you,” she smiled and opened the door wider.

Through the door stepped Valentino, a bright smile on his face. “Well I had some business to attend to yesterday... and I missed you.”

Rosetta blushed and smiled at him. “I missed you too.”

The happy couple stood there for a moment lost in each other’s eyes.

Their overly sentimental moment was broken by a loud greeting from Lovino. “Ciao, Valentino.”

The tall black haired man looked over at the short blonde who had stood up in her pile of fabric. He smiled at her a bit nervously and reached out for Rosetta's hand, both of them stepping farther into the shop.

“I thought you were out for my head,” Valentino looked at her nervous.

The blond smiled a bit and stepped over the waves of blood red fabric. “No, well I was, but I changed my mind,” she stopped in front of him. “I like you too much to kill you.”

The tall man smiled. “That is a relief,” he then pointed at the large pile of red behind her. "What are you making?" 

"Oh, a dress for Leonardo." 

"You can't just tell him!" Leonardo stood up from where he was sitting, resting his feel. His face was red as his hat. 

"Hey, calm down," Valentino waved his hands. "I'm not one to judge, and I know how crazy Lovino's schemes can be." 

The blonde’s face was still pink, but he said no more, only crossed his arms and huffed. 

"Alright," Rosetta patted the artist's shoulder. "We need to get back to work." 

Leonardo glanced down at the heeled shoes. "Do I have to put those back on?" 

The brunette assassin laughed. "No, not right now. I'm going to have you practice feminine manners." 

Leonardo sighed in relief. Who would have guessed that being a woman was so hard? 

"Valentino, I need help sewing this if am I ever go get it done in time. Want to help?" Lovino asked while moving back to where she had left off on her work. 

The tall, pale man nodded and followed her. "Seeing as I have nothing else to do. I still remember how to sew, though I doubt I'll ever be as good at is as you." 

The blonde grinned and sat down picking up the skirt she was working on. "That's fine, you can work on the under layers of the skirt," She handed him some off white fabric shaped in to a half finished skirt. "Just finish the hemming on the top and bottom then add some gathered layers out of these strips, make sure they are a hands width apart,"

And so Leonardo was taught the fine arts of being a lady while Lovino and Valentino chatted away over his soon to be finished dress. In the afternoon Ezio stopped by, thankfully at a time when the artist was actually painting, rather than practicing, he thought it rather odd to find a large pair of woman's shoes in the middle of the floor and Lovino and Rosetta's fiancé working and chatting away like old friends. But he really did not have much time or reason to question the goings on at his friend’s workshop, after all Leonardo had seemed happier since the girls’ arrival. Well perhaps not exactly happier but at least less lonely.

By the time Lovino was asleep and long after Ezio and Valentino had left, the artist decided perhaps the day really wasn't quite as bad as he thought.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am very sorry about the super late update. Things got a little hectic there for while there was school and then my computer broke and then I was out of the county. But I am back and guess what we are finally going to get to the main part of the story. The cross dressing!

“You want me to go out... in a dress?”

Lovino rolled her eyes at the exasperated artist. “Yes, I have only said that about six times now. You are going out, in this dress,” She held up a long plain white and green dress. “To see how well you have learned your lessons. Carnival is only two weeks away, and Rosetta has been training you in the ways of being a woman for a week and a half now.”

The artist eyed the dress, uneasy. “But I am hardly ready!”

“You are. You just need to believe in yourself.” Lovino held out the dress to him. “We are only sending you to get some things from the market. Rosetta will be nearby if anything goes wrong.”

It looked like there was no way out of the test. Then Leonardo suddenly remembered. “But I have a beard. I cannot dress as a woman with a beard!”

Lovino grinned widely. “I know. That is why we are going to shave it off!”

“No! You cannot!” Leonardo quickly backed across his bedroom away from the manic woman.  

“Sorry Leonardo, but it has to go. As you said women do not have beards. Unless they are an ugly woman,” The assassin put the dress down on the bed and turned to leave the room. “I want you in that dress in three minutes,” she stopped when she reached the door and reached out to close it behind her. “Just be happy I am not making you wear a corset, yet,” With that the door closed.

Leonardo sighed and moved back to the bed. He gingerly picked up the dress and looked it over. It appeared to be about the right size for him. Slowly he removed his top and pants. “Why do I always do what Lovino says?” He thought over his compliance to Lovino’s orders over the past few weeks. If he could just be more resistant, if only he could learn to say no to those girls. Certainly his life would be much more peaceful. Imagine if he had never let them stay at his workshop in the first place. None of this madness would have happened.  

He pulled the dress over his head and started doing up the ties at the front chuckling when he saw that Lovino had added padding at the front of the dress that gave off the illusion of breasts.  

Just as he finished the last tie Lovino burst into the room followed by Rosetta.

“Lovino it is polite to knock,” The brunette chastised her friend.  

“Yes,” the artist glared. “What if I was still undressed?”

“Then I would see you naked,” Lovino shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed. “I have seen a man naked before.”

“Let us just get the shaving done with,” Rosetta changed the subject.

“Must we,” Lonardo gave her a pleading look.

Rosetta shook her head. “There is no way around it. Come follow me into the kitchen I have everything set up there,” she left.

Before Leonardo followed, he had a question for Lovino. “What will you be doing while we are out?”

“I need to find a house to rent for carnival, and I must make it look like you are going to Rome, along with faking Rosetta and I’s departure from the city. I also need some costume things, some masks and a man’s outfit for me. See I have this whole plan. Rosetta is going to pose as your grandmother and I am going to pose as your horrible but very rich suitor. We will need a house for you and Rosetta to pretend to live at for the duration of the festivities.”

“Ah,” Was all the blond man could manage. He nodded slowly and vaguely wondered if Lovino was overdoing things, as he left the room.  

* * *

 

An hour later found Leonardo beardless and looking very much like a tall woman.      

As he inspected himself in the looking glass he could not help but smile. He looked utterly unlike himself. His hair had been put up in some sort of bun with a gold hair pin stick through it. Rosetta had applied some cosmetics on his face that accented the blue of eyes his eyes and made his lips look fuller and redder. All this paired with the padded dress lead to him looking like a rather attractive woman. 

“Much better than I expected,” He turned to Rosetta.

“I have to agree,” She smiled at him. “We should get going it is past midday,” Rosetta reached into a bag around her waist and pulled out a piece of paper. “This is the list of things we would like you to buy,” She handed it to him then moved to the door and picked up a wicker basket. The same one Lovino and Rosetta would often use when buying food. “The money you will need is in here. If anyone should ask your name is Lisa Incendio and you are Lovino’s cousin,” She held out the basket. “I will be nearby should anything goes wrong.”          

Leonardo nodded and took the basket, feeling himself begin to shake.        

The brunette assassin smiled kindly. “No need to be nervous.”

“I know.”

Rosetta opened the door, stepping outside.

The sunlight was bright and hot as Leonardo stepped into it. Shading his eyes he looked around the square outside of his door. He was surprised when the people passing by did not start yelling that he was a man right away. Despite the disguise, he had been expecting to be ousted right away.  

He was distracted when Rosetta gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder before she ran to the wall of the workshop and began climbing with experienced grace.

Leonardo watched her till she disappeared over the roof smiling to himself as he hear people around him whispering about how she must be mad to climb buildings.   

After her white clad figure was out of sight he began walking toward the market.

As he walked he watched people’s faces, looking for a trace of recognition, for a call of his name. But none came and he felt himself growing more confident as he passed by each person. A few times he passed by an acquaintance and laughed to himself as the man whose wife he had painted not more than two weeks ago gave him an obviously flirtatious look. This was going so much better than he had hoped! In a way it was rather freeing, being anonymous. He almost wondered why he never did this before. Of course the answer to that was obvious. In all his life he had never heard of a man dressing as a woman except for a joke. Where did Lovino get such an idea?

But now was no time to ponder the workings of Lovino’s mind. No. He was on a mission.

As he reached the edge of the market he stopped and pulled out the paper looking over the items he needed, all penned out in Rosetta’s need letters.

  1. 3 Apples
  2. 6 Carrots
  3. Bread
  4. A yard of silk



The last item was written in a messy scrawl that he recognized as Lovino’s.

  1. White lilies   



He held the list in his hand and stepped into the crowd.

The first three items on the list were easy to obtain. Leonardo had no issue with disguising his voice or mannerisms.

The silk was a bit more of a challenge mostly because he was unsure of what colour he has supposed to get, or what the fabric was going to be used for. Not to mention that the man selling the bright fabrics had been rather overzealous showing Leonardo piece after piece of fabric and explaining the beauty and quality of each in a loud voice. Finally he decided on a shade of blue that he thought was rather pretty. After handing over the rather large sum of money he quickly left the stand. One left. The disguised man made his way across the market to the flower stand he had seen Lovino at the first time the two of them had gone there together.

Upon spotting the stand he was not surprised to see the same young man happily selling the bright bouquets of flowers. Lovino wanted white lilies. He stepped up to the stand and smiled when the young man greeted him.

“Ciao! How may I help you?”

“I would like some white lilies.”

“Ah yes,” Leonardo saw the man’s face fall at bit as he turned to gather some of the flowers.  

That was odd. Why would asking for white lilies make the young blonde man sad? “Excuse me, I know it is not my place to ask, seeing as I do not know you, but you looked rather upset when I asked for the flowers. I was curious as to why.”

“Oh,” the man turned around the flowers in one hand. “Well white lilies are my favorite flower. About a month ago I gave a white lily to a beautiful girl for free. I thought I would see her again in the market but I have not. I did not even bother to ask her name,” he looked so forlorn, his blue eyes gazing at the ground.

“Her name is Lovino,” Oh, good going Leonardo!

The young man looked up, hope sparking in his eyes. “What?”

“Her name is Lovino,” Leonardo repeated. Everything was okay he could work with this.

“Lovino,” he tested the name and smiles. “That is-”

“A boy’s name,” Leonardo said before he could finish.

He gave the disguised man a confused look. “Well yes it is, but, I was going to say beautiful. How do you know her name?”

“Oh!” he was so glad Rosetta had given him a story to fall back on. “She is my cousin. She was staying with me when she came home with a lily in her hair and told me about where it came from.”

A happy smile lit up the flower boy’s face. “Can you tell me how to get into contact with her?”  

Leonardo thought for a moment. Was it a good idea to let this boy try to start something with Lovino? He seemed sincere. “Perhaps it would be best for me to inform her that you are interested and let her decide to contact you. My cousin is rather suspicious about men, she has been hurt before,” The man nodded in understanding. “What is your name so that I may tell her?”

“Lodovico Fiore,” The young man seemed to be bursting with excitement.

Of course Lodovico, it was so ironically close to the name of Lovino’s dead friend. “Very well Lodovico, I shall inform her.”

“Oh! Thank you, thank you! Here,” he held out the flowers “You can have these for free. Of course I do not think these will make up for what a wonderful thing you are doing for me!”

“It is no trouble really, I think my cousin is rather lonely, she could use someone as nice as you,” Leonardo smiled and took the flowers. “I hope she returns your affections.”

“I am sure she will.”

He smiled at Lodovico’s confidence. “Goodbye.”   

“Yes, goodbye and thank you again!”     

As Leonardo exited the market he felt like humming to himself. His day had been so much better than expected. People seemed to be a lot nicer when you are a woman.

A voice from behind him immediately broke his good mood.

“Ciao, bella donna,”

He turned to see Ezio behind him, a flirtatious smile on his face.

Of all the people to meet. The artist felt himself begin to panic; surely Ezio would see through his disguise!

“C-ciao…”

Ezio moved toward Leonardo. “I have never seen you before, and I like to make a point of knowing everyone in the city.”

“Oh, I um,” Leonardo quickly looked at the ground as the assassin came closer. “I… I am only here for carnival. I have never been to this city before.”

Ezio, aware that the woman he is talking to was nervous, toned down the flirt. He did not want to scare her away. “Oh, what brings you to the beautiful city of Venecia?”

“My, Grandmother lives here,”

Ezio smiled and reaches to take the basket from Leonardo. “Well then, would you allow me the honor of escorting you home? It would be horrible if something were to happen to such a beautiful woman and it is getting rather late.”

Without thinking Leonardo spouted out a yes. He let Ezio take the basket and his arm, his mind chastising him the whole time. Where was he supposed to let Ezio escort him to? Lovino did not have a house rented yet, but Ezio knew his workshop.

“I just realized I neglected to ask you what your name is,” Ezio began walking in Leonardo’s original direction.

“My name is Lisa Incendio,” Hell! He just gave Ezio Lovino’s last name! Curse the handsome assassin for making him feel so nervous.

Ezio gave him a look of surprise. “Are you related to Lovino Incendio?”

“Y-yes, she is my cousin.”

The brunette laughed. “What a coincidence, she is a very good friend of mine. However she neglected to tell me how lovely her cousin is.”

Leonardo felt his face going red.

“Perhaps she has mentioned me to you? I am Ezio Auditore.”

Leonardo glanced at Ezio’s face and quickly away. “No, I do not believe she has. But I only just arrived here today and she immediately sent me on a shopping errand.”

Ezio nodded. “If you are related to Lovino, does that make you an Assassin as well?”

The artist could not help but laugh at that. The idea of him being an assassin like Ezio and the girls was ridiculous. “No, but I know of the cause and I fully support you,” He smiled at Ezio.

“Where is your grandmother's?” Ezio looked around them.

I need an excuse to go to my workshop. “Actually, I was heading to the workshop of Leonardo da Vinci. Since Lovino is staying there.”

The assassin grinned. “I know Leonardo he is a wonderful friend!”

At least he now knew that Ezio thinks of him as a good friend.

“Really?” Seeing as things were going alright Leonardo decided to have a little fun. “I just adore his paintings!”

Ezio nodded.

“The way he captures the expressions of people, it is just amazing. I wish I could have that skill. I hope to have him do one of me at some point,” Leonardo placed the hand Ezio was not supporting over his heart and looked as wistful as he could. “Oh, to have a painting done by the great Leonardo!” He was turning into quite the actor, or actress.

A quick glance at Ezio revealed that he had a rather angry look on his face, was he jealous of the artist? Leonardo almost laughed out loud at the thought of Ezio being mad because he thought that Leonardo liked himself.  

“Since you are such good friends with him do you think you could get him to do it,” Leonardo tilted his head down and looked at Ezio through his eyelashes, a move he had seen done by countless women.

“Of course,” Ezio smiled to cover up his jealousy.  

They were entering the square that Leonardo's workshop was situated in, time for just one last bit of fun.

“Oh, you are the best,” Leonardo leaned over and kissed Ezio’s cheek.

He grinned as he saw Ezio go just the slightest shade of red.

When they reached the door of the workshop Ezio dropped Leonardo's arm then knocked twice and opened the door, walking in, just as he always did. Leonardo followed after.

“Welcome back Leo-Lisa,” Lovino looked up from the almost finished red dress, quickly correcting herself when she spotted Ezio with the disguised Leonardo.

“I managed to buy everything you asked for,” Leonardo took the basket from Ezio and walked across the room to Lovino, with a bit of a smirk.

Lovino was too busy blinking at Ezio to really hear what was said. “Ah,” She glanced at Leonardo asking with her eyes if Ezio had figured it out.

The artist shook his head and grinned.

“Lovino,” The assassin strolled across the room to the short blonde. “You neglected to tell me that you had such a lovely cousin,”

Lovino gave him a glare. “Well excuse me for not telling you about every pretty girl I know.”  

Ezio chuckled. “Yes, how dare you.”

“Do you not have someone else to be bothering right now?” Lovino attempted to get him to leave.

Just as Ezio started to speak the Workshop door opened.

“Sorry! I got distracted there were guards! Oh!” In the door stood Rosetta looking back and forth at the three people in the room.

“Yes,” Lovino stalked across the room. “How dare you be so late! I was worried! Do not get so distracted on future missions,” she was glaring but winked at Rosetta to make sure she knew that Lovino was not actually mad. “Come in Lisa just came back with the things we asked for and she met Ezio along the way.”  

“Oh, good,” was all the still slightly confused assassin could say as she stepped inside.

“I hate to say this,” Ezio spoke up. “But I must leave; Va Lope wishes to give me some important information. I hate to leave the company of such lovely woman,” He truly looks regretful. He turns to Leonardo and takes his hand, bending down to kiss it. “I shall see you again Lisa,” With a swish of robes he turned, leaving a stunned Lovino, a confused Rosetta and a blushing Leonardo.  

“My God,” Leonardo sank to the floor.

“I cannot believe that just happened!” Lovino squealed.

“He did not figure it out?” Rosetta sat on one of the benches.

“Well we all know Ezio is a bit dense,” Lovino nodded expertly, then squealed again and quickly kneeled and hugged Leonardo. “You did so well! And he kissed your hand. He was so interested in you!” She let go of him. “Now all we need to do is make him fall so in love with you that he will not care that you are a man.”

The artist sighed and pulled the gold pin out of his hair letting it fall around his face. If only it was as simple as Lovino made it sound.  


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look update!  
> I want to thank you all for your nice feedback! I love getting reviews on my stories makes me want to keep writing!  
> I want to also take this moment to point out that is now the longest work I have ever written!

The house was lovely. The front painted light green with a dark wood door, there were flowers in window boxes of each room of the three story house. It was located only ten minutes from Leonardo's workshop and the back of it was against one of Venice's many smaller channels. There was even a small boat tied to the steps leading down from the back of the building.

“I must say I am impressed,” Leonardo surveyed the house with a smile. “How did you manage to get such a nice place so fast?”

Lovino, who stood beside him just shrugged. “It is pretty easy to get things when your father is one of the richest men in the world.”

The artist just nodded, wondering if Lovino had paid people to move out of the house, she probably had.

“This is where we will be living during Carnival,” Lovino moved to the door, pulling a key out of one of the bags around her waist.

Leonardo followed her and stepped through the door after it was opened.

The inside was just as charming as the outside. Vases of dried flowers sat in the entrance, to the left was a door, leading to a blue sitting room, the front was a long hall with stairs heading up next to it.

“It rather looks like an old woman lives here,” Leonardo commented as he stuck his head into the sitting room, noticing the lace doilies and plush chairs.

“That is the point,” He jumped and turned to see Rosetta standing in the door. She chuckled and stepped the rest of the way into the house closing the door behind her. “Sorry, Leonardo, I did not mean to scare you.”

From the stairs Lovino pouted. “Oh, so you apologize to him but not me?”

Rosetta rolled her eyes. “Yes, because you should have known I was there.”

Curious as to what Rosetta had said, Leonardo interrupted the girls banter. “What did you mean; it is supposed to look like an old ladies home?”

“Well,” Lovino skipped down the few stairs she had climbed. “The cover story is that you are staying with your Grandmother, and this is her house. Rosetta will be posing as your Grandmother.”

“And what are you going to be doing while Rosetta and I put on this charade?”

“That is the best part!” Lovino grinned. “I will be posing as your, horrid fiancé!” The short girl whirled around and started walking back up the stairs. “There is nothing men love more than a bit of competition, especially if they think they are saving the girl. So, Ezio will meet me with you and attempt to steal you away from me!” she ran up the stairs till she was out of sight. “Come on, your room is up here.”

The blond turned to Rosetta. “Why do I have the feeling she just wants to dress as a boy.”

Rosetta laughs. “Probably because she does. But, Lovino does have a good point, Ezio does like competition.”

Leonardo watched Rosetta ascend the stairs and sighed before following her. To him Lovino’s plan seemed very foolish, he feared the moment it would all crash down. There was just no way it could work. Something would go wrong and he would be found out. Even though he knew everything was destined to fail, he kept going along with it. Why was that?

“Your room is this one,” Lovino called to him and opened a door to the left of the stairs. “Mine is the attic and Rosetta’s is the one to the right. There is another bedroom next to Rosetta’s, but I have turned it into a studio where you can keep painting when you are not out,”

He nodded to all Lovino said and stepped into his room, closing the door behind him. It was far nicer than what he had back at the workshop. A large four poster bed, covered in blue sheets took up a large corner of the room. A vanity mirror stood next to the bed, the desk part of it was covered in powders, brushes, hair pins, and all manner of jewelry. He shifted over to the mirror and ran his hand over the handle of one of the brushes. Lovino had gathered all this yesterday? Where did all these things come from? He picked up a jade hair pin, the top shaped like a little dragon with red eyes. Perhaps some of it was Lovino’s.

With a bit of trepidation he pulled off his signature red hat and sat it on the vanity, then pulled his hair up, trying to twist it like Lovino had yesterday. He stuck the hairpin in the knot of hair and released his hands. A few blond strands fell back around his face, but most stayed up. He gazed at his own reflection. It looked rather nice. Would be nicer if he was actually a woman. Quickly he pulled the pin out and placed it back down, stupid.

The door flew open.

“What do you think?” Lovino appeared in the mirror next to Leonardo.

The artist turned to face her. “It is nice; better then my little room above the workshop.”

Lovino smiled. “Well, of course” she turned and swiftly moved toward the wardrobe. “I only go for the best,” she threw the doors open. “Have you seen what is inside?”

Interested Leonardo advanced to the oak wardrobe and took a look inside.

A large red dress hung in the wardrobe.

“This is the dress you were working on?” He reached out to touch the fine cloth. “It is beautiful,” He reached in and pulled out the puffy fabric, examining it further.

The whole dress was a deep shade of red; the sleeves were long and had gold lace and buttons at the wrists. More gold lace surrounded the collar and two sets of gold buttons ran down the back gold strings connecting them allowing for the top of the dress to be tightened around the person wearing it. The bottom of the dress consisted of many layers of red ruffles which ended at several different levels, creating a rose peddle effect. It was not a dress one would wear to a formal ball; it was far too gaudy and bright. But for a party like Carnival, the dress was perfect.

“I am glad you like it,” Lovino stood next to the artist a proud smile on her face. “I worked very hard; I even got a few girls I know in town to help out with some of the more complicated parts. You are going to look so beautiful! Oh, wait!”

Leonardo’s eyes followed the hyperactive assassin’s run out of the room, before turning back to the dress. It called to him, invited him to try it on and go out among people who would never guess who he really was. It was a chance, a chance for fun, for secrets, and perhaps love.  

“Here,” A red mask was held in front of his face and he jumped a little, not hearing Lovino enter. “Had this specially made to match the dress.”

He took the mask and looked it over. It would only cover the area around his eyes, leaving his mouth free. The edges of the mask were painted gold and from the eyes gold lines shot through red meeting with the thicker edge lines. On the left side the masks material had been raised in the shape of a rose that cut off the gold rim, each petal of the rose was shaded from a dark red to a lighter red with a gold line along the edge. The rose looked almost real.

Leonardo smiled at the mask. “Reminds me of things I have seen from Spagna,”

Lovino nodded. “Yes, that is what I thought as well. But it fits the dress perfectly and will give you an exotic flare!”

Blue eyes moved from the mask to Lovino’s dark ones, then back again.

“Thank you.”

* * *

 

 

 

When Leonardo returned to his workshop a few hours later he was surprised to see  Salai sitting at one of the tables. It had been almost a week since his young apprentice had disappeared. He had wondered where he had gone off to, but he had a lot on his mind.

“Salai!” Leonardo smiled and embraced his apprentice as he stood from the workbench. “Where have you been?”

Salia actually looked a bit regretful. “Well… I was rather worried about that young woman; she did not seem to like me very much. I stayed with a friend for a while. Has she left yet?”

Just then the door opened and Lovino’s loud voice traveled in, shouting something about cats. As she stepped through the door she spotted Salai and immediately stopped and frowned.

“I am afraid not,” Leonardo give his apprentice a regretful look.

Lovino stalked across the room Rosetta right behind her, ready to grab the fiery little woman should anything happen. “Well, Savia, or Salad, or Snooperdodo, or whatever your name is, you are back,”

“Yes,” The young man crossed his arms and glared down at Lovino. “I have every right to be here, I live here,”

“Well too bad for you,” Lovino smirked at him. “Because starting next week you will live here alone. Leonardo will be with me in Rome for the next month,”

Lovino’s cover story for why Leonardo would be missing for a month. But was it really necessary to tell Salia? Leonardo felt it would be easier to just tell him the truth. But with Lovino’s unfounded hate for Salia, she would likely stab Leonardo should he tell the truth.

Salia’s eyes turned to his masters asking if it was true. “Yes, and while I am gone I will need you to look after my workshop."

The brunette apprentice gave him an incredulous look, but none the less accepted his master's words. “Very well.”

“Hey, Salad,” Lovino called his attention back to her.

“That is not my name.”

“Sure, just help your master pack a bit for his trip… Salad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Spagna is Italian for Spain


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry… I am just the laziest person ever about actually updating this story. I have it all planned out and I know exactly what is going to happen but then I just get to lazy to type it up.
> 
> Lately I have been working on scripts for some Assassins Creed videos and I have been doing a ton of artwork. Which reminds me, my friends and I are working on a comic it can be found on tumblr or Deviantart under the username Themusicmansion. So please check it out! (Look at that self promotion)
> 
> Okay on to the story.

Leonardo stood next to Lovino and Rosetta as he waved to Salia from the rail of the boat. He kept waving as he spoke of Lovino. “So we take this boat to Forli and then come right back?”

Lovino tuned and leaned her back on the rail. “That is the plan.”

“And my things, why are we sending them to Rome?” Leonardo stopped waving and lowered his arm to the rail and watched Venice start to disappear.

“Actually they are being sent to just outside Rome, a small town named Cerveteri,” The blonde assassin pushed her hood off of her head and looked up at the sky. “That is where my home is, I had to move some of your things to make it actually look like you were going to my home. Your things will stay there for a month and then be sent back. I have already sent my father a letter about all the boxes of art supplies.”

The artist gave her a bit of a worried look.

“Do not worry,” she chuckled. “I told him nothing about putting you in a dress and getting a man to love you, he just knows that I need to make it look like a friend of mine has left the city,”

Leonardo let out a sigh of relief. “You had me worried for a moment. I must say, you are much smarter than you make yourself appear,” he smiles.

From the other side of Lovino Rosetta starts to laugh

* * *

 

It takes them most of the day to get to Forli and back again partially because Lovino insists on having a look around the town, claiming to have never been before.

When they return to Vince it is night and the two assassins hurry through the streets hoods pulled low. Neither of them wants to be recognized and asked why they are still in the city. When they reach the house Leonardo is practically shoved through the door.

Once the heavy wood is closed behind Leonardo, the reality of situation crashes down on him. Starting tomorrow he will have to pretend be a woman for a whole month. Starting tomorrow he will also be tricking Ezio into falling in love with him. This is the worst idea ever. He feels his breath speeding up and the walls seem to be closing in.

“Hey, Leonardo are you okay?” Rosetta turned worried blue eyes toward him.

“Yes… I’m...fine,” With the last word he bolted up the stairs and into his room closing the door behind him.

He hastily threw off his hat and cape, not caring at all where they landed in the room. With a huff of air he fell face down on the bed. Pulling one of the pillows toward him and hugged it tightly to his chest, clenching his eyes shut.

What is he doing? He is going to have to deal with a month of being a girl and trying to trick his best friend into falling in love with him. He is about to participate in the dumbest plan ever conceived! Not for the first time he wishes he had never met Lovino or Rosetta, then his little crush would have remained just that, a little crush. But those two women had to bust into his life and fill him with hope.    

As Leonardo wallowed in despair he heard the soft creak of the bedrooms door opening. Footsteps sounded as the person crossed the room. The artist felt the bed dip next to him as they sat and a gentle hand brushed through his hair. Slowly, he turned his head and looked up at the person sitting next to him.

Rosetta sat on the edge of the bed, a kind smile on her face. “Hey,” She continued to run her hand through Leonardo’s hair.

“Hello,” He replied.

“What is the matter?” There was no judgment in Rosetta’s eyes, only concern.

Leonardo sighed and looked away from her. “I do not think I can do this, tricking my best friend… Not to mention that I doubt Ezio won't recognize me at some point.”

“Well, you know Lovino and I will be there incase anything goes wrong. You do not need to worry about that, as for tricking your best friend,” she laughs a bit. “I do that all the time…” The assassin was quiet a moment but her hand never stilled as it stroked through his hair. “You like experiments don’t you? Think of it as an experiment, to see what Ezio is like around other people. He is sure to act different around a woman then he does around you,”

The blond let out a puff of air. “I suppose that is true… but what about after this month?”

“What do you mean, after this month?”

“Well, after this month of Carnival I will be forced to go back to just being Leonardo, I cannot keep being Lisa for the rest of my life. I know that if Ezio really does fall in love with me as a woman then it will hurt him when he never gets to see her, er, me again,” He sighs and starts playing with the blanket under him.

“At least you will still get to see him, you will always be his best friend,” She gives him an encouraging smile. “If anything you can exchange letters with him as Lisa. You would just need to change your handwriting a bit. And anyways I’m pretty sure Ezio will not get too upset over losing a girl.”

Leonardo lets out a little huff of a laugh.

“Do not worry Leonardo, things will work out in the end. You are not going to lose your life, or your friends or your do-dads.”

The artist sits up a bit at that and smiles. “My do-dads?”

“Yeah!” Rosetta removes her hand from Leonardo’s hair and crosses her arms. “Your painting stuff, your do-dads.”

At that Leonardo actually laughs. “Thank you, Rosetta.”

The brunette grins. “Of course, I do not want you worrying about all this and stressing yourself out. This is supposed to be exciting and fun!”

“I think this is more you and Lovino’s type of exciting.”

Rosetta laughed. “I cannot deny that.”

After a few moments of comfortable silence Rosetta yawns. “It is late and we have a big day tomorrow so I am going to head to bed,” yawning again Rosetta stood from the bed and walked to the door.

“Alright, see you in the morning,” Leonardo also stands from the bed and shuffled to the wardrobe. He felt exhausted from the traveling and intense emotions.

“Hey, Leonardo,” Rosetta had stopped at the door. “If you are still feeling off tomorrow… or anytime, please come talk to me.”

“I will,” Leonardo nodded. He was glad that Rosetta had talked to him, not that his fears were totally abated but he felt lighter. Perhaps everything would be okay.

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay sorry for the long update. I’ve been getting ready to move for college.  
> I would also like to take this moment to say that this story became way longer and detailed and plot heavy than I had planned, I love it!  
> Also the next updatw will probably be really soon cause I'm going on a long plane ride with nothing better to do then write about video game characters (who are also real historical people) being gay.  
> I want to give a shout out to Alexis who is making some amazing fan art of my OC’s Lovino and Rosetta!  
> Thank you so much!  
> Here is the address for Alexis’s Deviantart so everyone can see them! http://alexis-croft.deviantart.com/

“You look lovely,” Lovino grinned as she stood back from Leonardo and admired the deep red dress he was now wearing.

“Yes, well,” Leonardo blushes a bit at the image of himself in the mirror. “I may look lovely but I cannot breath.”

The dress was very tight at the top squeezing his normally un-curved waist into a tiny corset. His was further restricted by the top part of the corset that Lovino had designed to push on him in such a way that it looked like he had breasts. It was very uncomfortable; he could understand why ladies were always faint of breath.

“Fashion is pain,” Lovino shrugged and patted the artist's shoulder. “Now I need to do your hair so sit down on the bed.”

Lovino waited for Leonardo to sit on the bed then crawled up and sat behind in on it. Roughly she began to brush his hair and twist it into intricate knots and loops.

“Maybe you should pull a little harder; I do not think you have quite pulled out all of my hair yet.”

Lovino snickered. “Poor Leonardo has sensitive hair.”

Just then Rosetta opened the bedroom door and stopped looking at Leonardo. After a moment she gave an approving nod and smiled. “You look great.”

With just a few more pins and tugs Lovino had finished with Leonardo’s hair and got off the bed. “All you need is the makeup and the mask and the disguise will be complete. Rosetta will you help him with that while I go get my own costume on?”

“No problem,” The two women switched places. Lovino left the room, and Rosetta moved in front of Leonardo to pull him off the bed and sit him next to the vanity.  

The assassin was very quiet as she began applying cosmetics to Leonardo’s face, a slight crease between her eyebrows showed her concentration.

Half an hour later, Rosetta stood back and admired her work with a smile. “All done.”

Apprehensively Leonardo looked at himself in the mirror. The person staring back at him was not the artist Leonardo da Vinci, it was a beautiful young woman named Lisa. Slowly a grin crept across his face.

“There’s just one thing left,” Leonardo herd Rosetta walk across the room as he kept looking at his face in the mirror. He found his transformation from a man to a woman amazing. It was even better than the first time when he had been sent out to the market.

Rosetta came back and held the beautiful mask in front of him. He took it with his own hands and held it up to his face letting Rosetta tie the ribbons and pin them to keep the mask in place.

“There you go,” In the mirror's reflection Leonardo could see Rosetta move to stand next to him. Her reflection gave him a smile.

He turned his blue eyes to himself and felt his lips start to smile. If he had thought that he did not look like himself before then the mask made him completely unrecognizable. “It is perfect,” He reached up and touched the mask a bit, thinking of how much he would like to paint the woman he saw in the mirror.

Leonardo’s examination of himself was interrupted by Lovino entering the room. “Leonardo! You look wonderful!” She gave him a wide grin.

Seeing Lovino Rosetta began laughing.

“What?”

Also noticing the short girl’s odd cloths Leonardo felt himself begin to laugh. She seemed to be dressed in an overly large green shirt that had a fluffy collar, along with black pants and shoes that gave her at least seven centimeters of height. The whole outfit was topped off with a green hat that sported a huge amount of peacock feathers.  

“I think your costume needs some help,” Rosetta spoke through her giggles.

Lovino glared at both of them. “It is not my fault I cannot reach the ties in the back,”

“Come here,” Rosetta beckoned Lovino nearer.

Leonardo watched with amusement as Lovino stomped across the room and turned around to let Rosetta help her. After a moment of frowning and looking generally upset Lovino began talking to Leonardo.

“You need to know all the details of the plan. I still need to put on the rest of my costume and Rosetta needs to give me some makeup. You should head out and stop somewhere like you are waiting for someone. I will find you and escort you around. I already know from my informants the Ezio is out there enjoying the festivities. My plan is that once I find you, dressed as your nasty fiancé, we will walk around while I locate Ezio. Upon finding him I will create a scene by being very mean to you. Ezio, being Ezio hates seeing a girl being mistreated and will likely intervene. I will be scared away by him and you will be able to bask in the glory of your savior,” Lovino grins as if she had not just explained one of the most ridiculous plans ever conceived. “If Ezio escorts you home like a good gentleman, which I am pretty sure he is capable of being, then Rosetta will be here dressed as your elderly grandmother you are staying with.”

Leonardo nodded, choosing to not voice the ways in which the whole plan could be made much simpler. He would let Lovino have her fun.

“Well then go and get out there,” Lovino waved a dismissive hand at Leonardo.

He rose from the vanity but stopped once he reached the door, looking back at both Rosetta and Lovino. He could feel nervousness creeping up his spine.

Both of the girls gave him encouraging smiles.

A moment of hesitation and a rustle of red fabric later Leonardo had disappeared.

“You know,” Rosetta began speaking as she finished the last tie on the outfit and forcefully steered Lovino toward the vanity. “I think this is the most harebrained plan you have come up with yet.”

“It is not,” the blond began protesting as Rosetta started to powder her face. “Remember the one with the goat?”

Rosetta stopped her movements and gave Lovino a harsh stare. “We do not talk about the one with the goat! Which was completely your fault and your idea!”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is done! Later then I said it would be but, hey, least it got done!  
> So life wise I have moved into college and I am probably going to be pretty busy over the next few weeks while I try to figure everything out.  
> Hope you all like the new chapter. (It is long)

Outside the little house the streets of Venice were alive with lights and music and people and fireworks. Women in costumes of every colour and men in masks like monsters drifted past.

Leonardo felt quite like he was in some strange dream. It was all so amazing. As he strode through the streets he took in all the sights and sounds. He spotted fire eaters, acrobats, freak shows and all manner of odd entertainments. He even spotted the flower boy Lodovico handing out flowers to women. Last year he had missed out on the festivities of Carnival because Ezio had borrowed his mask. He had been to the carnival in Firenze but that was quite unlike the world famous celebration of Venezia. After almost a half an hour of wandering around Leonardo settled on a bench in the Piazza San Marco he hoped that Lovino would be able to find him in this massive crowd.

He should not have doubted the little assassin, for not more than a few minutes later she came strutting up to him.

But whereas last time he had seen her she had looked ridiculous, Lovino now looked like a man. The green costume she was wearing now fit correctly a large gold belt around her waist kept the top of the outfit baggy hiding her feminine body. Her long hair was not styled and lay in limp strands over her shoulders. On her face she wore a green and gold mask which matched the hat and shirt. It hit only her eyes but Rosetta had done an excellent job with the makeup; Lovino was now sporting a fake blond mustache and beard.

Upon spotting Lovino walking to him, Leonardo almost did not recognize her. Had it not been for the hat and shirt he would have never known that the man striding toward him was actually the feisty female assassin.

When Lovino stood right in front of Leonardo she spoke in a deeper voice than her normal tone. "Lisa, I have been looking everywhere for you," She reached her hand out to the disguised man and helped him stand from his seat.

After standing and adjusting his dress a bit, Leonardo took Lovino's arm. He almost laughed upon realizing that even with Lovino's tall boots and himself in only flat shoes, Lovino was still quite a bit shorter than himself. It was however not too much of a shock owing to the fact that even as a man Leonardo was rather tall.

Conversationally Lovino asked "Have you been enjoying yourself?"

"Yes very much so," Leonardo nodded. "There is so much to see and all the costumes are quite amazing!"

"Well, I personally think your dress is the most beautiful I have seen so far," Lovino shot him a smirk and he chuckled knowing the Lovino was simply complimenting her own work.

"I must agree."

The two continued chatting as they strode around the city. When they reached a different plaza, Lovino suddenly stopped then stood on her tip toes and spoke into Leonardo's ear. "Ezio is over there," She tilted her head slightly toward where Ezio was flirting with some courtesans.    

Leonardo had another moment of unrecognition. Ezio was standing with his back to the pair of them, and he was also not wearing his assassin uniform, but was instead dressed much as he was when he had met Leonardo all those years ago in Florence. He wore a dark blue vest with a large collar and a silver belt around his waist. His hair was still tied back in his usual low ponytail.

"So now it is fine for me to be very rude," Lovino grinned then stepped back from Leonardo and began shouting. "You are the most foolish woman I have ever met!"

Leonardo attempted to play along. "What? Nicola? I do not understand!"

Lovino scoffed, but grinned a bit at the name Nicola. "You, you think I love you?" Lovino let out a low laugh. "Just because I am supposed to marry you does not mean that I love you,"

Leonardo is slightly impressed by the conviction in Lovino's voice, she was quite the actress. "I am sorry," Leonardo bowed his head down, like a submissive woman. "I simply thought-"

Lovino cuts him off. "Think? You never think. You are thick as a brick wall!" By then a crowd had gathered around the two and had begun shouting both encouragements and hate at Lovino.

"I am not!"

"Oh, really? I cannot believe this," Lovino held up her hands, exasperated. "If you are not stupid then why can you not see that you are simply a means to an end? I will never love you!"

"You are horrible," Leonardo let out a little sniff as if he was going to cry.

Lovino started laughing then is suddenly cut off. When Leonardo looked up Lovino was being held off the ground by Ezio, who had the front of her shirt clutched in one hand.

"This is not how a man should treat a woman."

He actually intervened, just Lovino said he would.

Lovino held up her hands in surrender. "Hey, she's my fiancée not yours there is really no reason for you to be treating me like this!"

Ezio glared at Lovino. "Whether she is my fiancée or yours has nothing to do with how you treat her. A man should never make a woman cry."

Lovino gave Ezio a confused smirk. "But is not that what all women are good for, crying, and cleaning?'

She must have taken it one step too far because Ezio punched the disguised woman before dropping her to the ground where she staggered back then fell on her butt, holding the cheek Ezio punched.  

The brunette assassin then turned to Leonardo and gave him a kind smile. "Are you alright, Bella Donna?"

It took Leonardo a moment to respond. When Ezio turned around Leonardo realized he is wearing the mask that he had given Ezio last year at carnival.

"I- yes," He glanced at Lovino who was standing up from the ground and dusting off her clothes with an angry face.

Ezio opened his mouth to say something else when Lovino spoke again. "You can be nice to her all you want, but she is still mine, and always will be!"

Ezio whipped around ready to take Lovino down again but she had already turned away and began to push her way through the surrounding crowd.

With an angry sigh the assassin turned back to Leonardo. "Might I escort you home?"

Leonardo smiled and takes his arm. "Of course, I am not sure if you recognize me but this will be the second time you have shown up out of nowhere to escort me."

Ezio stared at Leonardo a moment before recognition flooded his face. "Lisa!"

Leonardo nodded.

"I thought perhaps you had left Venezia when your cousin did," stepping at the same time the couple started to walk.

"No, I am staying here with my grandmother. I am supposed to spend carnival with my fiancé..." he frowned. "You can see how that is going."

"Why would you agree to marry such a horrible man?"

Leonardo looked down. "I never did. It was arranged from when I was born. My family has a lot of money and his has lot of political power. He... I... This will sound foolish, but I have always hoped that he might one day love me, but it seems that he has always hated me. Even when we were young and first met he refused to even talk to me," Glancing up at Ezio, Leonardo spotted an angered look on the younger man’s face.

"He should not treat such a beautiful woman like that!"

Leonardo blushed a bit and wondered, if Ezio finds him a beautiful woman then could he perhaps find him to be a handsome man? He shook his head a bit, now was not the time for such thoughts. He was with Ezio and should socialize accordingly.

“Um, thank you for intervening back there.”

Ezio flashed him a flirty smile. “It is always my pleasure to rescue damsels in distress!”  

“Do you rescue girls often?” Leonardo smirked a bit.

The assassin scoffed. “I save all of Italia! I am sure you have seen the wanted posters.”

Leonardo chucked. “I have, but I was never sure if they were for you or my odd cousin.”          

“I assure you, those posters are for me.”

“So you are a dangerous man?” The artist put a bit of sarcasm into his voice, not because Ezio is not dangerous, for he most certainly was, but because he was also kind, and loyal, and believed in good.

Of course Ezio was not aware of Leonardo's thoughts and jokingly replied. “The most dangerous man you will ever meet.”

It is just then that Leonardo realized they were about to walk past the street that would take him to the house he and the girls were using. He stopped, abruptly pulling on Ezio’s arm.

“Sorry,” He blushed. “I was so busy, speaking with you that we almost walked past my home!”

“Not to worry,” Ezio turned but did not start down the street. “I was so lost in your voice that I forgot I was taking you home.”

At that line Leonardo let out a sudden laugh. He covered his mouth after the rather masculine noise. From behind his hand he mumbled “That was a horrible line,” He let go of Ezio’s arm and started walking quickly down the street.

Leonardo heard the sound of fast walking behind him and suddenly Ezio’s hand is grabbing his arm. “Why are you embarrassed?”

The disguised man looks at Ezio with wide eyes, it had been a very many laugh. “I was just, embarrassed,”

Ezio smiled. “By your laugh?

“…” Leonardo nodded.

“I think that was the first time I have really heard you laugh all night; you should not be embarrassed just because it is a bit of an odd laugh.”

“You did not find it to be an ugly manly laugh?” It was mind boggling to Leonardo that Ezio had not yet seen though his thin disguise.

“I have certainly heard worse,” Ezio took Leonardo’s hand and held it with both of his own.

The blond was about to say something when the door to the house opened and old woman Rosetta stepped out.

In the most overdone crackly old woman voice she says “Lisa! Where have you been? You said you would come back in two hours and it has been much longer!” The assassin gone old woman, hobbled out of the house and up to the couple. “Who is this young man, it is not your fiancé!”

Good lord, Rosetta’s acting was appalling! Leonardo quickly acted to rectify the situation. “No he is not Nicola, his name is Ezio, he is a friend of both Lovino and I,”

Rosetta nodded, sagely. “Oh, what a nice young man,” She reached up and pats Ezio’s cheek.

“Alright grandma,” Leonardo took her hand and pulled it away. “I am home now so we can go inside,” He shoved Rosetta toward the door, then turned and mouthed ‘Sorry’ to Ezio. He keeps shoving Rosetta to the door but she seems determined to speak to Ezio again.

From behind the assassin shouts. “I will see you tomorrow, right?”

Without turning Leonardo replied, “Yes, you will just have to find me.”


	21. 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College makes me really busy so I’m sorry that this took a bit to get out, but here it is.
> 
> I have to admit that college has been a big adjustment for me and I also have a job but I am going to try to update as much as I can.
> 
> also being a film major makes my schedule a bit unpredictable.
> 
> I’ll try my best for you all.
> 
> Also hopefully soon there will be a short little side story about Lovino Rosetta and a goat.

The next night Leonardo stood just inside the front door of the little house. He was ready to go out again, his makeup was on and the dress in place.

            “What are you waiting for?” Lovino came down the hall to the kitchen, an apple in her hand, despite the fact that she was once again dressed as Nicola.

“It is just nerve racking,” He sighed and glanced at her.

Lovino rolled her eyes and took a bite of her fruit. “You did perfectly fine yesterday.”

Leonardo wanted to say that what happened the night before does not change the fact that he is still nervous but decided instead to change the subject. “Why are you dressed up?”

“Because I wanted to go out, but I cannot do that dressed as myself, also being a man is more fun,” She smirked. “I can get away with being unladylike,” Then with a quick movement she reached around Leonado and opened the front door. “Anyway just get out there and enjoy yourself, if Ezio wants to see you then he will definitely find you.”

Feeling rather boxed in my Lovino’s proximity; he stepped backwards out of the door. “Fine,” He turned on one heel and began walking down the street. Behind him the door closed.

As he walked he huffed to himself. Lovino had basically shoved him out the door. Feeling rather irritated both at Lovino and himself for not being able to get out the door he walked through the crowds, not bothering to stop and enjoy the spectacles. He pushed the last wall of people out of the way and turned the corner finding an empty bench facing out toward the open water. With a sigh he sat on the bench.

            After a moment he pulled out the pin that held his hair up and began twirling it in his hand while looking up at the sky. He wished that he could see the stars better. Back in the town of Vinci, where he was born, he simply had to go out the back door and he could see them all. But here the light of the city blocked many of the dimmer ones out.

            Leonardo’s attention was pulled from the dark sky above when a noise permeated his ears.

            His blue eyes were pulled down to the water.

On the edge of the brickwork he could see a hand. Slowly a man began to drag himself out of the water.

Leonardo quickly stood, rushing to help the man. He knew those white robes anywhere. “Ezio!”

From behind a sopping wet hood Ezio grinned back. “Lisa!” He reached out and took Leonardo’s offered hand and pulled himself out of the water.

            “What in the world were you doing?”

            Ezio began squeezing water out of his robes. “Sometimes the best way to get away from angry guards is to go in the water,” he grinned at Leonardo then went back to removing the water from his cloths. “Most of them do not know how to swim.”

            Leonardo crossed his arms and tried to look stern. “You will catch a cold.”

            Deciding that he had squeezed out all the water that he could the assassin stood up straight.  

            He still looked like a pitiful drowned cat. Leonardo could not help but reach out and tuck a long whet piece of hair behind Ezio’s ear.

            “I suppose a cold is better than being dead,” The disguised artist crossed his arms again and tried not to blush as Ezio gave him another grin.  

            Abruptly Ezio reached out and grabbed Leonardo, forcefully pulling the blonde in front of him.

            “Ezio! Wha-?” Leonardo’s words were cut off as he felt a hard pressure against his lips.

Ezio was… he was kissing him!

When Leonardo realized that it was Ezio’s lips touching his, he closed his eyes and his brain went blank. All there he could feel was Ezio’s mouth moving against his own, Ezio’s hand in his hair the other moving from his arm to his waist. He did not give a single thought about Ezio’s wet robes.

After what felt like hours to Leonardo, but was actually no more than thirty seconds, Ezio pulled back.

Heart beating like a bird in a cage, Leonardo blinked his eyes open to see Ezio looking back at the corner where the sounds of carnival could be heard.

After a moment the assassin turned his head back to Leonardo. “I apologize for that. I could hear some guards coming, I figured hiding myself behind you while looking like a normal couple would make them go away.”

“Oh,” Leonardo’s face dropped and he pulled himself out of Ezio’s arms. “I understand.” Of course his first kiss would be meaningless.

            The brunette saw the disappointment fall across Leonardo and swiftly stepped forward wrapping his arms back around Leonardo.

“Lisa, please do not look so sad. It is not that I did not want to kiss you, because I did, and still do. I was simply looking for an excuse to do so,” He smiles slyly.

Having Ezio so close made Leonardo blush, and as he spoke he felt himself blush even more. Their faces were only centimeters away and he could feel Ezio’s strong arms circling his waist.

“How about I make it up to you?” Ezio raised one dark eyebrow.

Leonardo’s blue eyes flicked up to Ezio’s brown ones. “How?”

“Tomorrow night I will escort you around carnival. It will be just you and me,” The look on his face was half flirting and half hope.

Hearing his offer Leonardo considered for a moment then nodded.

A happy grin slowly fell on Ezio’s face. “May I ask one more thing before I escort you back to your home?”

“You just did,” Leonardo could not help but tease.

Ezio shook his head and chuckled. “Something besides asking if I can ask something?”   

Leonardo giggled and nodded.

Ezio took a breath. “May I kiss you again?”

Leonardo glanced to the side and bit his bottom lip before nodding.

It was even better the first time.  


	22. 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I did it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know it’s probably a little odd but i love looking at the traffic graph on fanfiction.net, it just makes me happy to see how many people are looking at this story and what countries they are from. It’s just so cool!  
> I am also very sorry that this took me so long to write, life has been, well busy, and I have been sick. Right now actually my friend Ivy is bribing me into this writing this by writing a different story as a reward!  
> I also regret to say that we are getting closer and closer to the end. But do not worry, I have other things planned for the Assassin’s Creed fandom and these OC’s because I love them dearly.  
> Also I meant to have this chapter done by Christmas but that didn’t happen… oops…

“Goodness I cannot believe how well this plan is working,” Lovino was excitedly chatting as she stuck white flowers into Leonardo’s hair, which Rosetta had braded into a circle around his head. “I mean, you kissed Ezio and got him to agree to escort you around tonight,” The little blond assassin let out a little laugh, happy about her plan working so well.

            “I am the one out there doing all of the work,” Leonardo crossed his arms then adjusted the padding around his chest so he could better cross his arms. He was once again in the more simple green and white dress from the day he had gone to the market, but Lovino had embellished it with gold ribbon on all the edges and around Leonardo’s waist.

            Lovino stuck one last flower in his hair and stood back. “Yes and you are doing a very good job. I am proud of you,” Her smile looked almost manic. After a moment of looking his sitting figure over she turned around and grabbed a new mask of the makeup table behind her. This one was made of gold tanned leather with green feathers coming off the sides and, like the red one, only covered the areas around his eyes. With deft fingers Lovino tired the strings around his head and stood back with a smile. “You look adorable!”

            Leonardo frowned. “Do not call me that.”

            Lovino laughed and rolled her eyes, “Only Ezio can call you that.”

            Just as the artist was about to fire of a retort Rosetta stuck her head in the door. “It is getting late you should probably head out to meet Ezio soon,” With a sigh Leonardo stood and straightened his dress. “I will be back later.”

            “Yes, be careful,” Lovino began waving as he swept out of the room. “And don’t let Ezio have sex with you because he will defiantly figure out you are man!”

            He felt his creeks go red at Lovino’s words but grinned when he heard the “Ough!” That was probably Rosetta hitting her.

            Outside the crowds where just as mad as the other nights and in his slightly more conspectus outfit Leonardo found it hard to maneuver though them. Ezio has said to meet him near San Marco Campanile. Eventually he made it there and luckily found an empty bench, where he decided to wait for Ezio. It was almost a little odd how Ezio always seemed to see you before you saw him, it is almost like he has eagle vision. With a snort of laughter Leonardo shook that thought away, then jumped when a voice spoke in his ear.

            “I almost did not recognize you.”

            Clutching his heart Leonardo turned and glared at Ezio, who was grinning. “Please never do that again.”

            The assassin just laughed. As he chuckled, Leonardo took in Ezio’s cloths. He was not dressed in his normal assassin uniform, but rather in a plain blue gray vest and white shirt with rather tight black pants, he looked much like he had on the day that they had first met.

            “Well,” Ezio offered his arm to Leonardo, who, after a moment, took it. “Shall we explore what Carnival has to offer for entertainment tonight?”

            “That sounds like a wonderful idea to me.”

            The rest of the night was filled with laughter and smiles as Ezio lead Leonardo from one thing to the next. They danced, played games, watched fireworks, kissed, and drank.  Leonardo did not believe he had ever had so much fun in his entire life. Everything seemed to be so extraordinary. Women’s dresses shimmered like magic, the music was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard, he felt like he was in a wonderful dream, but he knew it was all real.

By the end of the night Leonardo was exhausted and his hair was falling out of its braid. He adjusted his dress a bit and looked around to find Ezio, he had wandered off a few minutes ago to go talk to someone he apparently knew. After a moment of searching he spotted Ezio laughing with a dark haired man dressed in green. With a sigh he made his way over to the two.

“Ezio, would you mind escorting me home?” Leonardo did not want to drag Ezio away from this man, but his feet where killing him, and he was quite tired.

The assassin turned his head toward him the moment he was near and smiled. “Of course. But first!” Ezio wrapped one arm around Leonardo’s waist and dragged him so their sides where flush against each other. “This is my friend Antonio. Antonio, this is Lisa Incendio, the most beautiful girl in the world,”

The artist felt his whole face go bright red. “Ezio, I think you are drunk.”

Antonio laughed. “I believe you are right, but despite my friend’s drunken state, it is very nice to meet you Lisa.”  

“You as well,” Leonardo dipped his head a bit to the man with a smile. “Now if you will excuse us.”

Antonio smiled in return. “Yes, goodbye.”

After the man’s farewell Leonardo turned himself and Ezio around and started walking after they had gotten a few steps he heard Antonio shout. “And make sure to take good care of my friend!”

Leonardo shook his head. “Good God, I am not leaving with Ezio to go have sex with him.” He muttered.

Next to him Ezio turned and blinked at him. “What was that?”

“Nothing,” Leonardo gave Ezio a smile.

Ezio in his drunken state decided that the smile was an invitation to lean in and kiss Leonardo. For a moment the artist just let it happen. Kissing Ezio was addictive and he was lost in the sensation of arms around his waist and lips pressing against his. He didn’t even mind the slight taste of alcohol. But, when Ezio licked across his lips asking for Leonardo to open his mouth did he come to his senses, realizing they were in the middle of the street. He pulled himself away and put a hand over Ezio’s mouth.

“We are in public.”

Ezio smirked. “There is an alleyway just over there,” He started backing up into the dark side street.

“Ezio,” Leonardo tried to become an unmovable wall, but mostly succeeded in being dragged along. “I do not want to kiss you in some dark alleyway.”

“We can do more than just kiss.”

At that smug comment Leonardo pushed against Ezio hard, managing to slip out of his grip. “I am not going to have sex with you in some back alleyway! What kind of ma-person do you think I am?!”

Ezio for his part looked completely stunned.

“I am going home, good night,” Leonardo turned sharply on his heel and stomped into the night.

When he arrived at the house he slammed the door behind him and started pulling off his mask with sharp movements.

Rosetta, hearing the door came and stood at the top of the stairs in her nightgown. “Leonardo? What happened?”

He slammed the mask down on a little table next to the door and started pulling his hair down. “This was all a horrible idea! I should never have done what Lovino said,” After a few seconds of pulling at his hair with no success he dropped his hands and sat gracelessly on the stairs. He buried his head in his hands and tired to keep tears from falling out of his eyes, with no success.

After a few seconds he heard soft shuffling and then comforting arms were came around his shoulders and gently pulled him to lean against a strong shoulder. “What happened?”

Leonardo took a few shuddering breaths. “He was drunk and… said something really stupid, and I… I just got so mad…”

The two sat in silence for a moment.

“I… I do not want to do this again.”

Rosetta began rubbing circles on Leonardo’s back. “You do not have to.”

“Tricking Ezio was such a stupid idea from the beginning and it was always going to end like this,” he let out a quiet sigh. “I… I want to write a letter telling him that I, Lisa, have gone back home to marry my fiancé, and hopefully after that he will forget… her and I can go back to being his friend,” Leonardo knew that this was the best thing to do, he had to stop the charade and let his dream of being loved by Ezio go, even if he tore out his heart by doing so. It was the right thing to do.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really should have tried writing to deal with the depression I’ve been having sooner. It makes me feel so good to finish a chapter. But I am very very very sad that this story is coming to an end. But no worries I have about 4ishhhh more mostly planned out that I’m sure all you lovelies will enjoy! Also OMG I have been wasting so much time playing Unity cause I got it for Christmas, I need to find a ship to ship! As another side note this chapter is going to be weird because it is going to be letters. (also I hate the word woo). I also really hope that I am correctly portraying characters who are in love, because I, ashamedly, don’t have much experience in that department.

Dear Leonardo,

How is your time at Lovino’s home going? I am sure you are enjoying being in the country, sometime you should come to my uncles home in Monteriggioni.

Now, I will admit that I am curious about the well being of one of my dearest friends, I have another, more selfish, reason for writing to you.

I am sure you remember Lisa, Lovino’s cousin who was visiting before you left.

I seem to have fallen in love with her. She was just so amazing and beautiful. I am sure you two get along well, she is very smart. I do not believe I have ever felt this way about any woman other then Caterina Sforza.

It stresses me greatly to admit that I completely failed in wooing her. I got rather drunk and suggested something I should not have. Needless to say she was very angry with me and ran off into the night. The next day I received a letter from her saying that she was returning to her home in Terni and that she will be marring her horrid fiancé. 

I am writing to you as a plea for help, I am asking for you to speak to Lovino, on my behalf and convince her to talk to her cousin, for I am sure that she already knows what I said to Lisa. Women work fast like that. I am truly sorry for what I said to her. And I would go to Terni and speak with Lisa myself, if only Antonio would let me.

Leonardo, I am begging you to convince Lovino to stop her cousin from marring that man and giving me another chance.

If she where to just give me one more change I would not waist it.

I am sorry for putting the responsibilities of my love life on your shoulders my friend, but I am truly desperate.

Please send me a letter of your success with Lovino as soon as possible.

Your friend,

Ezio Auditore

 

Lovino sighed and put down the letter that she had just read over for the fifth time. “Leonardo, are you sure you do not want to read this?” She turned and looks at the dejected man who lay on his bed looking up at the ceiling blankly.

“Yes.”

The assassin frowned and moved to sit down next to him. “He is sorry about what he did.”

“I know,” Leonardo moved his eyes to look at Lovino instead of the blank ceiling of the house they had been using. “But it does not matter, it had to end eventually. It is better to just end it now. He will move on, eventually.”

Lovino let out another sigh. “You know my plans always worked before, so why did this one not work?”

The artist moved his eyes back to the ceiling. “What did you expect to have happen?”

“What I expected?” She shifted to lie down next to him, her own eyes tracing the tiny cracks in the ceiling. “I expected for him to fall so in love with you that it would not matter that you where actually a man, and actually his friend.”

Leonardo let out a hollow laugh. “You expected him to find out or for me to tell him?”

“It probably was not my best plan… but I was sure I knew how people worked well enough for this to all work out. I thought you would eventually tell him on your own because you would not want to keep the secret, and he would not care, because he would love you.”

“You know nothing about how people work,” He tilted his head to the side to look at his friend. “I would never have told him, I would be much too embarrassed.”

Lovino rolled her eyes. “Well I realize that now!”

He laughed. “Yes, well, it was nice, while it lasted.”

“Something is better than nothing,” Lovino smiled a bit at the ceiling.

 

Dear Ezio,

I cannot believe you did that you complete ass! How could you treat my cousin like that? And she really liked you, she went on and on about how you were such a gentlemen, but now I found out you are almost as bad as her fiancé! You cannot just treat all women like whores!

I will not be helping you get her back, though I will tell her that you are sorry. I doubt it will do much good. She will be married to Nicola within the week and after that I am sure she will not want to see you again.

From,

Lovino

That was all Lovino wanted to say to you. This is Rosetta; Lovino has me write all of her letters because her writing is quite illegible. I am sorry to hear about what happened between you and Miss Lisa, but I am glad that you know what you did was wrong and I am sure she will accept your apology. Perhaps you two can still be friends.

I am sure you will be glad to know that Leonardo should be home within the week. In fact he may be back before this letter arrives.

I will let you know the next time that Lovino and I will be back in Venecia. And you are always welcome to come visit us here.

Your friend,

Rosetta


	24. NOTICE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Here we are the last chapter. It really has been quite a journey. It’s been two years sense this was first published! I really want to thank all of you who stuck through with me, my bad updating and horrible spelling/grammar errors

Almost a year had passed since Leonardo had donned a dress and pretended to be a woman.  In the streets of Venice where filled with people getting ready for the wonders of Carnival to begin again.

After the fiasco with pretending his alter ego had gotten married, Leonardo had helped Ezio “exchange” letters with Lisa. This involved Ezio giving Leonardo a letter, which he told Ezio he would send off to Lisa. Rather than sending the letter to a woman who did not exist Leoanrdo would open the letter read it then compose his own reply, after the correct amount of time had passed he would give the letter to Ezio. At first he tried to keep the letters from Lisa short and angry but Leonardo could not resist the way the brunette’s face would light up when he gave the assassin another letter. Thus a surprisingly large number of letters had been exchanged between the two. In each letter Ezio would ask Lisa to leave her husband for him, it was hard to Leonardo to keep writing no, especially because after each letter the assassin would sit on one of the workbenches and sigh on and on about Lesa’s most recent denial.

On this day before carnival Ezio was particularly depressed.

“How was what I did so much worse than how Nicola treated her?” The assassin’s fore head rested on his crossed arms causing him to speak at the worktable at the work table.

“You have asked me this question at least a thousand times. All I can say is that you probably broke her trust, you should be happy she still talks to you,” Leonardo stood at his easel painting away on a large canvas. “Why not think about something happier? Like when the next time Rosetta and Lovino will be in Venezia?”

“That will not be for a rather long time,” Ezio sighed, his shoulders lifting up and down with his breath.

Leonardo ignored his friends moping. “I do wonder if Lovino and that boy ever saw each other again.”

Finally the brunette lifted his head from his arms. “Flower boy?”

“Oh yes,” Leonardo turned to Ezio, “When she was here this boy who sells flowers at the market fell in love with her, he asks about her whenever he sees me, which is not often. I think the last time was more than four months ago. Maybe next time she is here you could contently have a mission that requires going to the market?”

“Trying to solve other people’s romantic problems, Leonardo?” Ezio smirked.

He shrugged in response. “Why not? I think they would make a good couple. Now,” he went back to his canvas, “If you are going to loiter around my workshop you might as well be useful. Go get the broom from where ever it is and start sweeping.”

“Yes sir!” Ezio did a mock Roman salute as he jumped up from the table. Looking around the workshop he decided to start in the most reasonable place, the cupboards that sat periodically throughout the workshop. The first few tries revealed nothing but art supplies, random pieces of wood, and half finished inventions. The next one held books. It was not till the fifth try that he found something. That something was not the broom.

When the assassin opened the thick wood door his eyes landed on a red dress. The garment was balled up in the corner of the otherwise empty cabinet, left and forgotten. Slowly Ezio reached out one hand and pulled the dress out. “Leonardo, why do you have this?”

Leonardo did not turn from his painting. “Have what?”

Ezio held up the dress and took in the beautiful garment of the woman he loved so dearly. “Why do you have this dress?”

The artist stopped mid stroke. Gently he lowered his hand and turned to face Ezio. There was only one dress he could possibly be talking about. “Oh, it was, uh given to me by Lisa she said I could let one of my customers have it or use it for a painting…” He felt it was a good enough explanation.

Ezio gave him a skeptical look then glanced back in the cubbord noticing the red mask that had been sitting below the dress. He picked it up and took it in for a moment. “You know, Lisa was very tall…”

“Uh, yes she was,” Where was Ezio going with this?

Ezio took a step toward Leonardo. “And she was blonde, and very smart.”

“Yes, she was,” Leonado nodded quickly. Ezio was being rather intimidating.

“She had a manly laugh, and did not have a curvy body,” Ezio took several steps forward backing Leonardo up against his easel. “I often thought she reminded me a lot of you.”

“E-Ezio I do not understand what you are trying to say.”

The assassin stopped and looked down at the dress and mask then up at Leonardo. His face was agonized. “Why?”

“Why what?” Leonardo almost squeaked.

“Why did you not tell me the truth? Why did you not tell me you where Lisa?”

The artist’s entire body deflated, he pressed his hands against the fabric behind him, carless of the paint smearing on his hands. His blue eyes settled on the red dress. He could never look Ezio in the eye again. This was the end, the end of everything. He knew. “I just… I have been in love with you for a very long time and Lovino said it was a great plan and I just went along with it. I can understand if you hate me now. You don’t have to talk to me ever again if you do not want to! I did something totally unforgivable and I am sorry, but as I said you don’t have to forgive me.” He felt tears begin to slide down his cheeks.

“Why would I leave?”

Leonado’s eyes jerked up. “What?”

“Why would I leave?” Ezio was smiling.

“But I-“ Leonardo started but Ezio cut him off. “How many times did I tell you that I would do anything to have Lisa back?” Leonardo opened his mouth to speak again but Ezio spoke too quickly. “Yes, you lied to me, and yes you are not a woman, but I did not fall in love with Lisa because of her looks. I fell in love with you because of how you are. I am a little angry and a little weirded out.” The assassin lets out a little chuckle and reached up to wipe Leonardo’s cheek. “But I think we should give this a chance.”

Leonardo stared at Ezio eyes wider than plates with a jerk he there his arms around his friend and began sobbing. His hands left splotches of paint on the white robes but neither man cared. Never had Leonardo expected Ezio to want him. He had expected Ezio to never speak with him again, or at best a strained friendship. This was almost too much for him to believe, he wanted to slap himself to make sure he was not dreaming. All he could do was whisper thank you over and over into Ezio’s shoulder.

Ezio wrapped his own arms around Leonardo and make hushing noises and occasionally kissing the side of Leonardo’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want you all to know that there is no need to fret, because as you can see this story is part of a series so there is more to come! I already have the sequel all planned out it will be shorter than this first one, but I do have other stories planned after the first one, and I will, hopefully get better at updating in a timely manner. I’m almost 20, I should be able to write three pages for a fanfiction every week!


End file.
